Reunion
by Insomnias-Words
Summary: Over a year after Rose Tyler is trapped in a separate universe, the Doctor finally finds a way to cross over to finish his goodbye, and to propose a new adventure. Based after Season 2, before/not including the rest of the series.
1. Reunion

_This is probably just going to be a one-shot, because I just finished Season 2 of Doctor Who and I am heartbroken. But if anyone wants me to continue it, I might turn it into a story? I haven't watched the other seasons yet, so this story has nothing to do with wherever the storyline brings them together again later on._

_Edit: I guess I'll go ahead and turn this into a story then… It'll probably be a pretty long one, and it'll be updated on a regular basis. I think I'm going to do it more along the lines of what they're doing in their off-time – the times when they're not running around on random planets and/or in trouble. There'll still be adventures and such, but I also want to address the aspect of what might've happened while they were resting or hanging out as well._  
_Also, again, this is based off of events happening after the end of Season 2 but not derived from any of the show thereafter.  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh).  
_

* * *

She groaned and shifted in her bed. Half awake, she groggily fought to get back to sleep – back to her dreams. She'd thought… She'd dreamt that she could hear the TARDIS again. The warping sound of the engine - the sound of the universe and every time and space within it - clear as the first time she'd met him. Her struggles only hastened the cold fingers of reality as they closed around her, chasing away the warmth and darkness of sleep.

Still, she refused to get up. Why should she – she had nothing to move for. Nothing worth _doing_. She'd seen hundreds of worlds along hundreds of various times in space, fought against destruction, saved lives and seen them lost, been so far beyond the stars… And still, losing all of that was nothing compared to having lost him. If only she'd held on… If only he'd even been allowed to say his last words to her. He never had admitted that-

"Rose?" a soft voice interrupted her thoughts, sounding from some part of her room. That voice – it couldn't be. She froze, her mind racing through possibilities and immediately disregarding most of them as impossible. Whatever it was must be dangerous – an impersonation, a trick. Because there was no way that it could actually be him.

"Rose." the voice came again, warily, now accompanied by soft footfalls towards her. That was it. She leapt out of bed, in the direction opposite the voice, and crouched in defense. Her eyes scanned the table beside her for something to use as a weapon, but her eyes were almost immediately pulled to the shadowy figure. She had to see. She had to know. Reluctantly, part of her scared that it was all an illusion that would shatter at the weight of a glance, she looked at him.

And it _was _him. There was no doubt about it. It wasn't just the clothes, or the way he looked… It was everything about him – a certain persona that only he could give off, something she'd recognized even once he'd regenerated before. Everything she knew, everything he'd said, told her that it was impossible, but…

She met his eyes and the anxious look he wore melted away, replaced with a smile that transformed his entire face.

"Rose." he whispered her name again, this time with relief, as if he couldn't believe it either. He moved towards her, rushing around the end of the bed, and before she knew it she was in his arms. He hugged her to him like he had so many times before - his arms wrapped around her protectively, as if he would keep the entire universe at bay to make sure she was safe. And he would.

She buried her face in his shoulder, tears falling from her eyes unbidden. She'd never thought that she would see him again - feel his arms around her, hear his voice. Afraid to break the moment she kept her racing thoughts quiet and just wept, glad for the contact and the feeling of safety it provided.

Finally he loosened his grip, pulling her away far enough to look at but keeping his hands gripped on her shoulders, as if he couldn't let go for fear of her disappearing. She saw now that he was crying too, the falling tears a direct contradiction to the joy on his face.

"Doctor. My doctor." she finally spoke, her voice barely audible. He nodded, another tear falling, and hugged her to him again. When she spoke next, her voice cracked. "But how did you… You said the universes would collapse in on each other if you came. That it was impossible.".

"You'd be worth it." he whispered, voice wavering, before pulling her away again and brushing some stray strands of hair away from her face. "But of course we can't have that now can we? I found another way – you should've known I would Rose! Come on now, have I ever let you down?".

"Well, there was that one time…" she joked, responding to the laughter in his voice. Then, seriously, "No. Never. But you… You kept looking. It's been over a year. I'd thought… I thought I'd never seen you again. I thought you would've moved on and found another hand to hold-". He cut her off before she could go on, his voice firm but gentle.

"Of _course _I kept looking. Of course I did. If I could have come any sooner I would have, but the universes simply wouldn't allow it. Rose, you're not just another girl in a line of companions - I had to find you again, I couldn't…" his voice broke off and he paused, looking away. "Well… I never finished my goodbye.".

When he looked back he was smiling, but his eyes betrayed him. She could see the pain he'd been through, the scars of having lost yet another person so important to him. Of traveling the universe, searching for answers, with no one left to stand beside him. He'd never found someone new, just kept searching… The news made her tears spring anew.

Gently, he lifted his hand and wiped the tears away from her face, his eyes meeting hers and holding them.

"Rose Tyler… I love you." he finally admitted. Not giving her a chance to reply – the smile that lit her face was enough – he kissed her forehead and stepped away, holding out his hand. "I found a way to cross universes and dimensions for you Rose, and I'd do it again. If you're still willing… I'd like to take you on a new adventure.". His tone was serious, and she could see fear of her answer in his eyes. "You haven't seen Paris yet – not the country, the planet. You'd love it there. See, they've got this one place where, when both moons are right, it-" his rambling was cut off as she stepped forwards and took his hand in hers, kissing him on the lips for barely a moment. He broke off, surprise and then happiness flashing across his face.

"Of course I'll go. I'd go anywhere with you Doctor. And it looks like I've even found a way to quiet that infamous mouth of yours.". Months of despair melted away, replaced with a warmth that felt like it would never leave. The tears were drying, and he looked at her and smiled, squeezing her hand in his.

"Off we go then. Never a shortage of adventure to find – or trouble for that matter.". She let him lead her into the TARDIS, which was parked in the far corner of the room, happiness and relief radiating off of both of them in waves. For so long she'd thought him gone, had wasted so much time living in sadness… Now she was ready for a new adventure.


	2. Home

_This one was longer than the original entry, but I can't guarantee a specific word count for every chapter. Probably somewhere around 1,000, but it'll vary.  
Any reviews are welcome – some way I could write better, something I'm doing to make the characters act out of character, ideas, anything. This is my first attempt at a fanfiction, although writing is my hobby, so all critiques are appreciated._

_I also edited the first chapter a bit, considering it was originally a one shot, so reread it if you want. It's nothing really important though.  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh).  
_

* * *

Rose stood inside the doorway of the TARDIS and drunk in the view. It had been so long since she'd been here last… Although there was an undeniable sense of amazement to the strange planets and foreign realms they frequented, the TARDIS was a wonder in itself.

A blue police box on the outside, a large alien spaceship with the ability to travel through time and space on the inside. In the center sat the familiar control station, and above it a staircase led to a central chamber which opened to dozens of rooms. Everything looked almost exactly the same as she'd left it – if not a bit messier.

Still, something was off. The alien technology hummed around her, and for the first time she realized just how lonely it could be here. The pulsing light of the control panel was the only sign of life – the twisting arches and cold metal that comprised the rest of the interior appeared nearly as timeless and alien as the machine itself.

"Doctor?" she began hesitantly, turning towards him. His hand was still tightly clasped in her own, and she realized that he'd been watching her warily since she'd boarded the ship. A questioning hum prompted her to continue, and she looked up to meet his gaze. "How long were you searching?". Something in his eyes shifted, a weariness settling into them that hadn't been present before.

"Well you said it yourself Rose – you've been waiting for me for over a year. I apologize again for the long wait, couldn't be avoided." he said with a twinge of regret, smiling brightly at her. Rose frowned and shook her head.

"Yes, it's been over a year for me… But I asked about you. How long were _you _searching?" she repeated, knowing that the clarification shouldn't be needed. Everything looked the same, so familiar, but the look in his eyes... He studied her carefully before allowing the smile to falter.

"Three years Rose. It's been three years – well, three years four months – since I saw you last.". He saw the recognition in her eyes, the sadness there reflecting his own. A year was a long time to wait for someone, but three years of searching the universe alone had been crippling. There had been no one to distract him from his thoughts or guilt, from the feeling of every thing moving and living and _being _running through his head. He'd made friends during his search, even taken a few on some trips, but none had stayed. None were his Rose.

She squeezed his hand and he unconsciously shifted towards her, eating up the already small distance between them. Rose paused, waiting for his next movement, but a small noise from the center of the TARDIS jarred them both out of their thoughts. He shook himself off and returned to the present – he had found her, and she still wanted to come with him. Things were going to be different now. A bright smile lit his face and he nodded dismissively at whatever comment she was about to make concerning his lonely search, squeezing her hand in response before releasing it and moving over to the controls.

Rose smiled as she saw some of the ghosts disappear from his eyes, and couldn't deny how happy she was to be here with him and have these little things back – holding hands, hugging, the gentle touch of his lips on her skin, however briefly. She paused, glancing around again and looking out the open door into her dark bedroom – the clock read 4:00 am – before following him.

He already wielded a small mallet in one hand, as if intending to threaten the machine into operation, and the other was preoccupied with several rows of buttons and knobs. She watched with amusement as he fiddled with the machine, knowing that no one but him would ever really understand exactly how it worked. She'd barely learned the basics in her time with him, and even then he often had to tease her into selecting the correct button a few rows over from where she'd thought it had been. Smiling from both the memories and the befuddled look on his face, she leaned against the nearby railing and waited for him to fill her in on the issue.

After several minutes of tinkering (and some hammering, yelling, and questioning the integrity of the machine), he finally turned to her with a small smirk.

"Well, it looks like the adventures will have to wait for this old thing" he paused and glared at the controls comically, "to decide it's done recalibrating.".

"Same old Doctor, always in a love hate relationship with his favorite spaceship." Rose laughed, glad to receive the same reaction from him. "That works out then – now you have time to come tell everyone that you're here! They'll be so glad to see you. And I'll need to pack a bag of course… Maybe some extra food too…" she trailed off, making a mental list and frowning in thought.

The Doctor walked over to lean against the railing next to her, and when she'd finished her calculations she looked up to see him watching her with a smile. A yawn escaped her, a reminder that her sleep had been disrupted, and the amused smile grew.

"What?" she asked suspiciously, wondering what all of the smiling was about.

"Nothing." he assured her, his tone warm and teasing. "Although it does look as if I woke you up. I was aiming for the earliest possible time I had access to – the fact that you might have been asleep slipped my mind. Maybe you should go back to bed until the morning, and then we can tell the others?".

"Doctor, you appeared in my room in the middle of the night and I'm finally seeing you for the first time in over a year. How exactly do you expect me to go back to sleep after that?". Another yawn betrayed her – she hadn't been sleeping well since the day everything had changed, and she had only gotten to sleep a few hours ago. She didn't mention her silent fear that this was all a dream, that she would wake up in a few hours and find herself alone again. He studied her face for a moment before speaking.

"Well quite easily I should think, given that I'm going to sleep too. And as a good hostess, you are entirely banned from allocating me to an uncomfortable couch.". With that, he moved away from the railing and out the door of the TARDIS. When she followed, she found him already lying on the far side of her bed, eyes closed.

She laughed and climbed into the bed, sure to keep some distance between them but thankful that she could sleep without the fear that reality come crashing down and prove all of this a lie. He turned his body towards her towards her, opening his eyes.

"I'll never leave you Rose. Not again. Sleep… I promise you that I'll still be here when you wake up.". His voice was quiet in the darkness, and he was close enough now that she could feel the warmth of his body. She nodded and shifted towards him slightly, allowing their hands to touch, before closing her eyes. Next to her she heard a soft sigh, the sound of someone who has been alone for far too long and has finally found his way home, and he tangled his hand in hers loosely. Then she slipped away into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Reintroductions

_Not a lot of action in this chapter, I know – mainly just reintroducing the characters and establishing reactions and such. I promise the next chapter will have more content. Meanwhile I'm happy for any critiques or reviews that'll help improve the story._

_Jenna: Thank you so much. I write a lot, but this is my first time trying to write something like this and I'm really glad you like it! I've no clue why none of this happened in the show (or maybe bits of it did later, I don't know) - I was so upset when I saw the Season 2 finale that this just sort of happened._  
_Layla: Thank you for being the one to suggest that I continue this and for being the first actual fan of this story.  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh).  
_

* * *

Rose woke up slowly from the best sleep she'd had in months. Curiously, she was lying against something warm. Comfortable, and still not quite awake, she pressed closer to it. She was already drifting back to sleep when a voice, much closer to her than it should have been, said her name. She opened her eyes and blinked against the late morning light flooding in between the window blinds, still too comfortable to move. But why was she-

"Rose, as ecstatic as I'm sure Jackie will be to see me again, I'm not positive that she'll be quite as happy if the reunion occurs while I'm lying in her daughter's bed – however innocent my intentions.". The voice, _his_ voice, came again from right next to her ear, quiet but teasing. She reflexively pulled away from the person behind her, waking up entirely as memories of the previous night flooded into her mind. He was back. It wasn't a dream. _This was real_.

She heard him chuckle quietly at her reaction, and turned her body so that she was could see him. He was still lying on his side, facing her with an amused expression, but at some point in the night she had turned on her side as well and pressed herself against him. She blushed at the realization that she had just spent the last few hours sleeping against the Doctor, eliciting another laugh from him.

"Good morning! Your mother's been calling – says that if you aren't downstairs for breakfast in ten minutes she's going to come up here and drag you out of bed. Something about socialization and Mickey calling.". Rose glanced at the door with a yawn before shooting the Doctor a falsely grave look.

"We'd better listen. She can be dangerous when provoked.". They both laughed, and he beamed at her for a moment before leaping out of the bed – he'd always had too much energy in the morning in her opinion – and offering his hand. She sighed in mock irritation and maneuvered herself out from under the covers, using his hand to help her up.

"If we're to avoid my being slapped, again, we'd better get changed and head down." he said. She nodded, realizing that he was still wearing the same (now disheveled) clothes that he'd arrived in. He smiled and simply said "I told you I wouldn't leave." before turning and disappearing into the TARDIS. She smiled after him for a moment before grabbing a change of clothes and heading into the bathroom adjoining her room.

When she came out a few minutes later, hair brushed and a clean outfit replacing her baggy night clothes, there was still no sign of him. From downstairs the sounds of a baby crying and Rose's mother calling for her again could be heard.

"One minute mom!" she answered, glancing around the room before heading out the door and downstairs into the dining room. She might as well tell them before he came down and caused a panic. The baby – Tony – was sitting in a high chair at one end of the table, her "father" attempting to calm him and coax him into eating some soggy cereal. Her mother was just rising from the table to wash off her empty plate when she spotted Rose.

"What kept you? I've been yelling for you for at least half an hour, and now your food's gone cold. I know it's a weekend but Mickey's been calling – something about possible trouble. He wants you to call him back as soon as you're done eating and-"

"Mom." Rose interrupted her, walking up to the table but not sitting down. "He's back.".

Jackie stared at her blankly and then froze. Surprise, and a shadow of something darker, flitted across her face, and the plate fell from her hands and clattered onto the tabletop. Her father looked up, the baby now complacently rolling bits of cereal around in front of him, and frowned in confusion.

"Who's back?" he asked, looking between his wife and daughter in confusion. Jackie unfroze and moved towards Rose, as if to shield her - or possibly question her sanity.

"The Doctor. He found a way. He's here." Rose beamed, watching recognition flood her father's face. Suddenly there was someone behind her, standing slightly to the right, and her mother stopped short.

"Hello! Long time no see." the Doctor said cheerily. She turned to see him smiling at the rest of her family – her mother frozen a few feet away, and her father standing up with a small smile. For a moment after that everything was still, and then a flurry of activity broke out. The Doctor was shaking her father's hand, hugging an already uncontrollably babbling Jackie, and cooing at the now quite amused baby.

"You're here!? But you said it was impossible. How did you manage that? It's been over a year! And of course you still look exactly the same, down to that same old brown coat you've been wearing since Rose showed up with you as some stranger fainting on the street. Great timing you have there by the way. Always showing up whenever there's trouble. So why're you here now? _How _are you here now? In fact, when did you even get here?" Jackie rambled. The Doctor didn't seem to hear any of it, opting instead to make silly faces at the baby. Tony laughed happily, his breakfast now completely ignored, and stretched his little arms out towards the Doctor.

"May I?" he asked, grinning broadly and looking towards Jackie for permission. She sighed with irritation and crossed her arms, but nodded. Pete was strangely quiet, watching the situation unfold and knowing better than to try to get a word in edgewise around his wife.

"Only if you start answering my questions! You're supposed to be in another universe right now, and instead you show up and barge into my house in the middle of breakfast-".

"Ah, still the same old Jackie, I see." he cut her off, picking up the baby and bouncing him slightly so that he squealed happily and started grabbing at the man's hair. The Doctor smiled down at him warmly before looking back at Jackie. "Marriage hasn't mellowed you out a bit then! I'm glad, you always were a fighter.". His tone was teasing and amiable.

"Yes I'm here, as you can see. There's never such a thing as impossible – just very unlikely. Of course I look the same, considering nothing's killed me again yet. I'm here because Rose is here. I got here through a complicated process and wibbly wobbly timelines that you wouldn't understand. And I arrived this morning upstairs – sorry for the intrusion but I wasn't sure where I could find you so I just had the TARDIS track Rose. Any more questions?".

Jackie pouted, considering his answers, and Rose laughed quietly at the return of the only person who could get her mother to stop talking. The baby looked at his older sister and giggled happily, now seeming content to play with and chew on the Doctor's tie. He didn't move to stop him until Rose's dad silently reached out to take him. The Doctor handed him the baby, and his smile was replaced with a serious look as he read the calculation in the man's eyes.

"Rose, please go up to your room and call Mickey. Whatever the problem is sounded urgent. We need to have a word with the Doctor.".


	4. Confrontation

_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh).  
_

* * *

__"Anything you're gunna say to him can be said in front of me. I'm not some little kid to be sent to her room while the adults talk it out!" Rose protested. A pointed glance from the Doctor though, just as the house phone began to ring, forced her to sigh and leave the room.

She picked up the phone near the door, glancing back at the group before heading towards the stairway. Something in the Doctor's eyes told her that this was a conversation that needed to happen, and besides – arguing with her mother would never get her anywhere. Best leave that up to him. Mickey was already starting to fill her in on a situation near the center of town as she passed through her doorway.

Jackie motioned towards the living room, leaving her empty plate and Rose's untouched food sitting on the table while Pete ducked through a different doorway. By the time the Doctor and Jackie were sitting down – each on a separate couch and facing the other – Pete had reappeared without the baby, and sat down next to his wife.

"Right then! There was something you wanted to discuss?" he leaned back into the couch and smiled amiably. Pete's face was thoughtful, but it seemed Jackie would be the main problem – her expression was taut with anxiety, and she perched on the edge of her seat.

"Doctor. Don't think we aren't glad to see you, because we are. It's been so long, and Rose is practically beaming." she paused and gave him a thin smile. "But you can't take my daughter away from me again. I won't let you. You swore up and down that we'd never see you again, and she had to adapt. She's got a job, and Mickey, and a baby brother – she learned how to live a normal life again. She's safe here, and that's something you can never promise her.". The woman's voice was tense and bitter, and the glare she leveled at him held a challenge. He let his smile fall, but when he spoke his voice was calm.

"Jackie, I will do whatever Rose wishes of me. It is her decision. Not yours, not mine.". Jackie looked ready to strangle him at that comment, spitting out her next words with an anger born of fear.

"It is _not_ her decision – I am her mother and it is up to me if I want to see my daughter go running off into danger! She's adapted, she has _moved on _Doctor. She's been doing perfectly fine without-"

"Has she though?" her husband said quietly, causing her to stop and turn towards him.

"Well I think I should know, I raised her!" Jackie snapped back, clearly considering his part in the conversation over. He ignored her and turned to the Doctor.

"I never had the chance to know Rose much before the invasion, but I did see her with you for a time. She was in danger, we all were, but she was so _alive_. You two worked together so brilliantly, and there was this… This fire in everything she did. But it's gone now Doctor. She wakes up and goes through the motions, but it's like she's only half here.". He faced Jackie now, his tone neutral.

"How can you say she's moved on when she barely goes out except for work or Mickey? She's over 20 and she hasn't gotten herself another boyfriend - she hasn't even moved out, because every time she brings it up you give her that look and she lets it go. You can't shelter her forever Jackie… She needs to be happy, and if this is the way...".

The Doctor watched the exchange silently, any reaction hidden away behind beneath a calm mask. Jackie processed her husband's words and her expression seemed to soften.

"She can be happy here. She can be _safe_ here. If she goes off with him," her voice cracked, and now she turned to glare at the Doctor "we'll never see her again. She already chose you over us once Doctor, and she almost got sent to an eternal _hell _for it. If Pete hadn't gone back to save her she'd be gone. I won't let you get her killed.".

At this the Doctor stood up in one sharp movement, his body stiff and jaw set. He advanced towards her, stopping just short of towering over the sitting woman. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but lent no room for disagreement.

"That's enough. Jackie Tyler you listen to me, I would do anything for Rose. Anything. I would lay down my life for her in an instant – in fact, I have before. I searched for _years _and crossed two universes to find her again. Yes, maybe that was selfish. Maybe coming back after all of this time and bringing her back into a life of danger was the most selfish thing I've ever done. But I owed it to her. I had to tell her how much she meant to me –I never told her before you see, always something in the way - and I had to be sure that she was happy. I can't undo my decision, and now it's up to her – if she wants to come with me I will not leave her behind again. Ever.".

Before his wife could reply – anger and fear were battling for dominance on her face - Pete stood up so that he was now face to face with the Doctor.

"She never stopped caring about you. She never stopped hoping. I want her to be happy Doctor… Just promise me she'll be safe. Swear by it – swear that you'll do everything you can to protect her.". The Doctor nodded gravely.

"I swear. I swear on my life and my position as the last Time Lord. I will keep her safe Pete.". He kneeled down, resting on one knee, and carefully took one of Jackie's hands. He was surprised when she didn't pull away, and instead looked up to meet his eyes. "I mean it Jackie. I'm sorry – I'm so sorry that I came back. I'm sorry that I couldn't let things be. But I'm here now, and if she chooses to come with me… She'll be safe. I'll bring her back to you.". She gave a small nod, resigning herself to the fact that maybe this really was Rose's decision.

"You'd better." she replied sternly. The Doctor broke out into a wide grin and straightened up, brushing off the ends of his coat.

"Well then, now that that's settled-" he began, only to be interrupted by Rose rushing into the room with a black backpack slung over one shoulder. She threw the telephone down onto the couch, and suddenly she was speaking to the group with rushed words.

"There's been trouble in town. Mickey and the others were monitoring a building that's received several suspicious reports in the past two hours – sudden structural weakness, the appearance of a black mist in rooms – and said the building was entirely falling apart at the hour mark. Just as he was filling me in, I heard it collapse. No one was inside, but the mist spread across the street to a different building – enough to cloud out the sunlight where they passed. I've got to go.". She turned to the Doctor.

"You're coming with me. It's not too far away, I'll drive us there.". Jackie and Pete seemed to accept this news without surprise, and he turned to follow Rose as she breezed back out the doorway into the kitchen.

"Oi, you let her go investigate with that lot, but when I show up you get all scared and panicky? Now that's just rude." he said with a mock scowl and a grin before following the path Rose had taken to find her in the driveway, climbing into a small car.

"You drive now." he noted, not sure whether to be impressed at her new ability, or annoyed at the slower form of travel. "Well, here's hoping you drive a car better than a TARDIS then." he said as he buckled himself into the passenger seat. She scoffed and shot him a look, pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the street a bit faster than the speed limit probably allowed.

"Well some of us don't always have a blue box to jump around in." she replied with a smirk, taking a turn sharp enough to push him into the door. "Did I interrupt anything?".

"Hm? Oh, no. We were just catching up!". She took in his broad smile and rolled her eyes. He just winked in reply – he wasn't telling her the truth and they both knew it. She'd find out later anyway. He was about to comment on her superior driving skills when they turned and the center of town came into view. Whatever he'd been about to say was forgotten as he gaped at the remains of a skyscraper lying on the ground. Nearby a faint buzzing sound filled the air.


	5. Screed Part 1

_This one's shorter, but it seemed like a good place to transition. I promise the next will be longer, and then after that we'll see them just spending time together for a bit. Also yeah the name of the aliens is just totally made up. It's actually probably a word. Not really any significance there. If I ever write about an alien that sounds like one from the show, it may be because I haven't finished the series yet – or it might be on purpose, who knows._

_Thank you so much for the reviews – I was really worried that this wasn't any good, and my friends don't watch the series so weren't much help. You guys are great :) Let me know if there's anything I should change/work on!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh).  
_

* * *

Rose drove right up to the edge of the police barriers before finally slowing down and screeching to a stop. The waist-level barricades separated a small crowd from the wreckage of what had been one of the smaller skyscrapers in the area – a business building filled with cubicles and receptionists. The entire thing was now reduced to a pile of rubble, and the air was still hazy with dust from the collapse.

Rose and the Doctor got out of the car and headed straight towards a corner where Mickey stood talking to a group of men dressed in black uniforms. The men walked away, and Mickey nodded in greeting to the Doctor and turned to inform Rose that the same signs were appearing in a nearby building. No one was in it, but people were currently being herded out of the nearby area and tests performed.

While Mickey spoke, the Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the wreckage and flipped through varying frequencies, listening carefully. After a moment he stepped closer, Rose and Mickey now observing, and frowned before snapping the device off and tucking it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

"Tell me Rose, what do you see?" he asked abruptly, swiveling to face her. She glanced at him and then towards the wreckage of the building. She'd seen buildings that had been destroyed before – some from varying explosions, some from collisions – but this was different. It had just fallen in on itself, as if there wasn't enough of the structure left to support it. But that wasn't the strangest part…

"Well, the entire thing collapsed as if something weakened the building evenly throughout. There isn't one part that's largely more or less intact than the others, just equal damage - like a pile of wooden blocks once you've removed one too many. There's also less rubble than there should be – I knew this building, it was somewhere between ten and fifteen stories. But there's only enough wreckage here to match a building about half that height.". She took a few steps forward, so that she was standing next to the Doctor, and leaned in towards the nearby wreckage. "It's almost like… Something dissolved parts of the building. Like bits and pieces of things are just gone, not broken off.". She paused and looked at the Doctor to see him smiling at her.

"Brilliant. Oh, you've still got it Rose!" he said proudly. Mickey cleared his throat and the Doctor's expression turned serious again. "Yes, well, Rose is right – parts of the building are missing. What we have here is an infestation of Screed. They're very much like termites, only they consume all manner of material – coincidentally mainly the types used in construction. Glass, steel, concrete, wood; they love it. The more they eat, the more they multiply. And I'd say they just found a pretty huge food source.". He examined the wreckage once more, his eyes calculating, before turning back to Mickey.

"Tell your men to clear every building within a block. They won't attack people, but the swarm will get much larger very quickly, and we can't have buildings collapsing with people inside of them.". Mickey was already walking away before he'd finished the sentence, pulling a radio out of his pocket. "And Mickey?" he added, causing him to pause. "Where's the nearest lab?".

"We have an underground research lab about two blocks away, underneath the big round building. Rose can show you, and she's got Level 1 clearance that can get you both in.". The Doctor nodded and Mickey hurried off in the direction of the newly infected building. Rose studied his face carefully – he was staring into the wreckage with a frown.

"I'm assuming you already told him I was here?" he asked, addressing the fact that Mickey had hardly seemed shocked to see him.

"Yeah, while we were on the phone… " she mumbled, waving it off. "Doctor, what are you not telling me?".

"Have you ever heard the theory about nanotechnology taking over the world?" he asked without looking away from the rubble.

"Yeah – people are afraid they'd malfunction and never stop replicating and changing everything they touched, until the entire earth became just a pile of nano creatures.".

"That's the one.". He turned to face her again. "See, these creatures don't work quite the same way – that is to say, they eat away at everything they touch rather than transform it – but the rate of replication is nearly the same. By the time they're finished with that second building, and I'd give them around ten minutes or so, there'll be billions of them. Those'll go on to a new building, then another and another, growing and growing. Before they finish with this city there'll be enough of them to block out the sun for a half mile".

"…Then how do we stop them?" she asked after a slight pause. He grinned and took her hand in his.

"No idea. But in the meantime, I believe you have a lab to take me to.". With that, they were running.


	6. Screed Part 2

_This one's a lot longer – probably could've been two parts, but I promised. Lots more information and action here. Hopefully I'm doing the show justice – if I forgot anything major or something let me know.  
Also thank you all so much for the reviews and the encouragement. I'm just sitting here smiling reading them - you guys are great. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (if I could I would, trust me).  
_

* * *

Rose walked briskly through the double doors of a large round building not far from the center of town, the Doctor falling back a few steps to give her the lead. The lobby was average – a couple of men and women in business suits, a receptionist's desk, classy decorations and bland colors. Only a select few knew of the levels underneath.

The receptionist glanced up at Rose, nodding in recognition. She hesitated at the sight of the unfamiliar man, but everyone knew Rose Tyler – if he was with her, there was a reason. Rose pressed the glowing "up" arrow, the only available option, and within moments an elevator arrived.

Once they were safely inside she quickly applied pressure to an empty space on the panel, causing a small keypad to be revealed. A few numbers were entered, and then they were heading downwards to the sound of classic elevator music. The Doctor gave her a questioning look but she only smiled and rolled her eyes dramatically.

A business-like mask replaced their grins when the elevator reached its destination, opening to reveal a large room complete with beeping machines and scientists bustling about. Here and there armed personnel passed through, heading to various hallways. Rose led the way out of the elevator and to the right, heading for a series of doors along the edge of the room.

"This place has certainly grown." the Doctor commented, voice even. Rose glanced at him and kept walking.

"They had to. Once the door between the universes was closed and the Cybermen taken care of, we realized that there were still other threats. Other planets know about the Earth here too, and not all of them have been friendly… This world didn't have you to save it. We had to adapt.". She paused to key a new number into a keypad, refusing to look at his expression. A white door opened, leading into a sparsely populated hallway – the long sterile kinds often seen in hospitals – before continuing.

"Mickey's in charge though. He's made sure that nothing has gotten out of hand. There's no torture or testing or genetic experiments, they're just here to help in case the Earth is in danger. And he learned a lot from you Doctor – they always try for reasoning and second chances first. If anything has died, it's been because it was us or them.".

"Where do you fit into all of this?" he asked after a moment of thought, face blank. "You're not a soldier.".

"No, I suppose I'm not." she agreed, reaching the correct door and keying in a final code. The room they were in now was one of the bigger labs in the area, outfitted with a variety of chemicals, machines, and computers that were currently processing information taken from the affected sites. He walked around the room, pausing to examine computer readouts or certain chemical stations, as she spoke.

"Sometimes they call me in to help identify what species we're dealing with if I can - mostly I just assist with peace talks. With you and the TARDIS" she hesitated, just slightly "in another universe, I couldn't directly speak their language or understand them, but I did pick up a thing or two from you.". She was surprised when he paused in his examination of the nearest work station and turned to her with a smile.

"I knew you were brilliant Rose." he said with a touch of pride. "It only takes a little bit of compassion to save a lot of lives. Most people miss that fact, but you never did.". He beamed at her for a second longer, relief flooding her when she realized that he approved, and then broke into a flurry of activity.

"Alright, so, we've got a growing swarm of what amount to space termites eating up the entire downtown area. They're mindless eating machines, so reasoning is out. We've got to stop them before there's too many to handle, and before they can cause too much damage. Question is – how do you stop a swarm?".

While he spoke, he rushed around the lab grabbing various jars and chemicals, piling them around one work station and stopping every now and then to check something on a nearby computer screen.

"Well," she replied, thinking out loud "you stop a normal swarm with insecticide. Poison. But we can't poison them without poisoning everyone and everything in the area. And besides, we'd never get all of them – they're so small, and there's so many.".

"Exactly..." he muttered, suddenly typing rapidly at the computer station and waving her over. "When I ask, read off that chain of numbers there. That's the key.".

She nodded, watching him return to the chemicals he'd gathered and begin mixing them with a wild precision. A small spoonful of some blue powder, a cup of green liquid, two drops of something from a red vial. Her phone rang and a quick conversation on speakerphone informed them that two more buildings were down, and the swarm was heading towards this part of the city. The Doctor only nodded and continued working.

"The key to what exactly?" she finally asked, scanning the data on the screen. It was the results of the varying tests the institute's scientists had run on the creatures and the area surrounding them when they'd appeared. The numbers he'd pointed out were paired together, some of them repeating, almost like…

"This is a genetic code. In numbers… You're not making a poison, you're making a virus." she said suddenly, turning to face him. He flashed her a smile before asking for the numbers. She read them out slowly, watching him take out his sonic screwdriver and adjust the frequencies accordingly. When he was done, he held up a small vial filled with dark liquid for her to see.

"Yes, that's right. The swarm won't split up - it has to stay together, no matter how large it grows. So if we just create something that can attack even one Screed and is transmitted thereafter by air or touch, the entire swarm will become infected in no time! Problem solved.".

"Well that's all fine and well, but how do you know the virus won't affect humans?" Rose asked, glancing at the stoppered vial with apprehension.

"Simple. I've programmed it to attach to only a part of the creatures' genetic codes. Humans lack the segment, therefore they're safe." he explained, putting the screwdriver away and smiling. "Well, that's the theory anyways. Come on, no time to waste!". Rose opened her mouth to protest but he was already rushing towards the exit. She followed behind him, pulling out her phone to update Mickey on the situation.

Two things happened simultaneously as they passed through the door into the now empty hallway – the phone in her hand rang, and the sound of alarms blared out overhead. She flipped open the phone and Mickey's voice shouted out at her, barely audible over the piercing warnings.

"Rose you've got to get out of there! They're in the building next to you, you have five minutes!" he yelled, the line cutting off before she could acknowledge him. She looked up at the Doctor and he smiled like he was having the time of his life.

"It looks like they've gone and brought the party to us! Good, now we don't have to catch up.". He tucked the vial into a pocket and removed the sonic screwdriver, his other hand grabbing hers. He turned to her, face serious but eyes alive.

"Run.". With that, they were flying down the hallway.

They reached the main hub of the underground institute to find people being herded into elevators in an orderly fashion. Rose took one look and didn't hesitate before turning them sharply and leading towards a stairwell.

The numbers on the wall revealed that they were only three floors underground – the space in between the lobby and this level was mostly concrete - with the rest of the base even deeper below them. They took the stairs two at a time.

By the time they burst out of the stairwell and into the deserted lobby, a loud buzzing noise thrummed in the air, almost drowning out the sounds of the alarm. The two crossed the lobby, panting, and ran out into the overcast day. A glance upwards revealed that the shadow they stood in was cast not by clouds, but by a streaming mass of black.

There were so many of the creatures packed so tightly together that they looked like one large being as they traveled away from a now crumbling building and into the one Rose and the Doctor had just vacated. Many flew directly into the higher levels, but the lowest reaches of the mass were just a few feet above their heads.

"There are still people in there. That many will bring down the entire building before they can escape." Rose panted, staring up at the swarm above her.

"I know. Let's hope this plan works then." the Doctor replied, releasing her hand to pull the vial out of his pocket. In one fluid movement, the stopper was pulled out and the vial flew towards the swarm. The sonic screwdriver was immediately aimed and activated, causing the glass to shatter. He stepped away and pulled Rose back to keep the liquid from falling on them – better safe than sorry – and eyed the swarm anxiously.

There was a hissing sound, and the Screed that had come in direct contact with the vial's contents fell to the ground. The rest continued to swarm the building though, and it creaked slightly under their onslaught. A group of scientists and armed men burst out of the doors, but reported that there were still at least one hundred men trapped underground. Luckily, the top part of the building and lowest levels had been evacuated much earlier.

Rose helped direct the group to where the rest of the institute's people waited – Mickey and his men had cordoned off every nearby street to avoid questions concerning scientists and people with guns fleeing an office building – and then returned to The Doctor. He had leveled the screwdriver at the creatures again, frowning.

"Come on, come on… It has to work." he muttered, hitting the sonic device a few times against his palm before aiming it again. The building creaked for a second time, bits of concrete raining down from the sides as the entire thing seemed to tremor slightly.

Rose took his arm and was just beginning to pull him away from the building when the buzzing faltered. The visible part of the swarm slowed down, the buzzing decreasing in intensity until the creatures began to fall from the sky. First just one or two, but by the time they'd turned and run to relative safety across the street, the entirety of the swarm seemed to be sinking to the ground.

They watched for a few moments until none of the insect-like creatures remained in the air, and then turned to each other with relieved smiles. The last group of people from the underground levels burst out onto the street, looking disheveled and almost comically confused at the sight of piles of dark creatures lying inside and around the building. The two of them laughed and fell into a hug, the Doctor holding her to him tightly.

"I've missed this. Us, together, figuring out the solution and saving lives… I've missed you so much Rose." he said wholeheartedly before they separated. She wondered again at how long he'd been alone, what he'd done while they were apart, but couldn't help smiling in response to the huge grin that lit his face. Before she could say anything, Mickey walked up to inform them that scanners confirmed no life remaining in the building, and every sign of activity from the Screed gone.

"Thank you Doctor. And welcome back," he grinned and looked at Rose "maybe Rose'll stop sulking now." he teased. Rose frowned in mock outrage and slapped him on the shoulder, causing him to flinch away and protest with a laugh.

"I do not sulk!" she protested. "Don't you have a job that doesn't include bothering me?".

"Sometimes." he replied with a teasing smile, glancing away as one of his men called for him. "I'd better go – pizza night still on for later this week?".

"Of course. We can't cancel pizza night over silly things like aliens, and a mad man showing up in a blue box. Good luck cleaning up this mess though.". He laughed again and nodded, turning to the Doctor and extending his hand.

"Really, welcome back though Doctor." he said seriously, receiving a nod and a handshake in return before hurrying off.

"Well he hasn't changed much – still getting beat up by a girl." the Doctor commented with a grin, leading the way back towards the car waiting for them a few blocks away. "And pizza night? So domestic." he said, shaking his head. She laughed and just pushed against him playfully.

"Well that's if we survive the car ride back." he amended, looking at the road as if calculating their chances.

"Oh be quiet, it's not as if you can do any better.".

"Is that a challenge? Well we'll just have to see about that then." he replied with a grin, taking her hand in his.


	7. Catching Up

_This update took a while – I kept writing something and then deleting it because I really don't want to mess up these characters. I've said before that there's no definite time frame for updates, but sometimes it'll be every day or twice a day, some days it'll be a while - especially now that school is returning. Enjoy.  
__Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh)._  


* * *

"I still say that I drive just fine under normal circumstances." Rose insisted, crossing her arms in mock defiance. The Doctor laughed, taking a sip of his drink before replying.

"But normal is so _boring_." he said, drawing out the word. "And now that I'm back, there'll be no more of that.". Rose rolled her eyes dramatically and let her smile slip easily through her false annoyance. They were sitting at a small restaurant, the kind that could double as a fast food place but a bit cleaner, not too far from her house. She'd given him directions while he had, predictably, driven the car perfectly – if not a bit too fast.

Sitting in the seat across from her in their little booth, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed a button to extend it. She watched him fiddle with it for a moment, her eyes slowly drifting to take in everything about him. His taste in clothing was still exactly the same, and his wild hair that never seemed to stay in one place had grown.

There was something different though, a subtle change in the way he looked and moved. He'd always been so skinny in this regeneration, but now it looked as if he'd lost a few extra pounds. His long coat was a bit too loose on him, and his face bore a slightly haggard appearance. It was his eyes though, that had changed the most. There was a weariness there that he tried to hide. It all but disappeared when he was looking at her, but when he thought she wasn't looking...

She was startled out of her thoughts as the waitress reappeared, carrying their identical orders of fish and chips. They thanked her and dug in, Rose having skipped breakfast and the Doctor not having eaten in who knew how long.

"So," she began in between bites, "what grand travels has the Doctor been on in three years?". He looked up and hesitated for a split second, something flashing across his face too quickly to read, before smiling.

"Well, there were those planets I saved from destruction. Just four or five – giant Magma Beast at the core of one, nasty business. I went to see the Galactic Olympics of 4016, that was a blast. Races from all over the universe flew in to compete, everyone managing under one dome and getting along for once – just lovely. Earth was the host that year - had a grand time with the ceremonies. Always trust humans to throw a party I say.". He paused to pop another chip into his mouth, grinning.

"Visited a few times in Earth history too – popped in to give Roosevelt a couple of tips on the recession. I figured he deserved it, considering the whole stock market crash thing was part of a fiasco with some creatures from a little planet out in the Tenth District... Oh, and then there was the Mayan calendar debacle." he trailed off, smiling at her in that way that made his entire face light up. She wanted to ask more – about how he'd found her, what else he'd done, what had put that look in his eyes – but she couldn't bring herself to make that smile disappear.

"What about you?" he asked, simultaneously changing the subject and finishing off the last of his food. He let the implied 'have you been happy' hang in the air, watching her carefully.

"Things have been good. Pretty boring really. Turns out aliens attack the Earth much less than we give them credit for when you're watching from a linear perspective." she joked, twirling the straw in her drink absentmindedly. "It's great having both of my parents around, and the baby is adorable – even if he's annoying and makes a mess most of the time. Mickey's busy with the institute, but he comes over whenever he can to hang out.". She paused in her straw-twirling, watching the bubbles in her soda rise to the surface as she added quietly "I've missed you.".

She was surprised to feel a hand on hers, and turned to see that he had reached across the table to fold his hand over her unoccupied one.

"I've missed you too Rose. More than I'd like to admit. But I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere this time. I'm not going to lose you again.". Rose studied him for a moment and nodded, surprised to see him being this open out of the blue.

He smiled and squeezed her hand before climbing out of the booth – they were both finished, and the food had already been paid for (by Rose, much to her false annoyance). He dangled her keys in the air, a teasing gleam in his eyes. Rose stood up, reaching to snatch them away in the same movement, only to watch him pocket them at the last second.

Her momentum carried her forward and he reached to steady her with a laugh, failing to stifle a surprised yelp when she twirled in his grip and pressed herself against him. He now loosely held her arm where he'd grabbed it to stop her fall, and she stood with her face inches from his, pressed against his body lightly. He blinked in surprise, frozen, and then she was moving away with the keys in her hand.

"Thank you." she said, voice teasing. She couldn't help but laughing at the surprise on his face – she hadn't expected it of herself either, to be honest – and turned to lead the way out the door, not checking to see if he was following.

"That's… That's not fair!" he called after her once he'd regained his composure, walking quickly to catch up and not bothering to hide his smile.


	8. Letting Go

_School starts tomorrow and I'll be spending the first few days of it doing summer homework (of course), so I might not update for a bit (possibly once more tonight though). Then again, if I have a computer in front of me homework becomes the last thing on my list, so… For now fluff fluff fluff. Character development. Actual movement soon/next. Enjoy.  
__Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh)._  


* * *

"Pass the popcorn." Rose requested, reaching in the general direction of the bowl without taking her eyes away from the television screen. That is, until a piece of said popcorn suddenly found itself bouncing off of her shoulder and onto the couch. Distracted, she turned away from the movie just in time to see another harmless projectile flying towards her face. She ducked a second too late, and the popcorn landed and stuck in her hair.

"Doctor," she began, leveling a halfhearted glare at him and brushing the popcorn away.

"What?" he asked cheerily, the picture of innocence. "You wanted popcorn!".

"First you rant for an entire half of the movie-"

"But Rose that's not at all what dragons look like! They have much bigger wings, and-"

"And then" she interrupted, continuing her sentence "you start throwing popcorn at me.". She let out an exasperated sigh, falling back into the couch so that she was turned towards him. "What am I going to do with you?".

"Ah, don't pretend you don't love it." he said lightly, throwing another piece of popcorn in her general direction before tossing one into the air and catching it in his mouth. She just rolled her eyes and turned back to the tv, leaning easily against his shoulder.

He'd been here a week now. Her parents seemed to get over their initial worry after a day or so, and they'd begun to treat him like part of the family. Tony especially liked him, preferring to play with the Doctor over Rose half of the time. She teased him about plans to steal her baby brother away from her.

Their relationship had fallen back in place easily, requiring almost no effort to become just as close – or closer, really - as they'd been before. Lacking the TARDIS, they'd been living an almost normal life for a while. They drove to a nearby cafe for lunch every day, walked the local park, and he'd even paid for them to go to the movies – although he'd tried to give the man at the ticket counter nearly three times the required amount. The topic of what had occurred during their time apart had not been touched, though she planned to change that soon.

Pizza night had gone off without a hitch. Mickey came with his girlfriend, something he immediately regretted when she and Rose began laughing and throwing glances his way right outside his range of hearing. They'd had their fill of pizza from the nearby delivery place and then talked for hours. Little things – the town gossip, wellbeing of friends and family, taunts aimed at Rose and harmless punches aimed at Mickey, and of course the occasional interjection from the Doctor concerning some utterly random piece of information. It felt good though. They were all together, safe and not running from some sort of danger. She finally had all of the people she cared about most in one place... She thought she'd never stop smiling.

It was nearing midnight now though. Mickey and his girlfriend had left a while back, and the rest of her family was asleep. The couch they sat on, watching the last few minutes of some movie or another, was tucked comfortably into the corner of her room. Most of the light came from the tv, casting a strange half-light over their faces.

She really had tried to pay attention to the movie, but for now she was content to just take comfort in the fact that he was here next to her. Her Doctor. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the idea and convince herself completely that he wasn't fake. That he wouldn't disappear again. As if thinking the same thing, he shifted and hesitantly put his arm around her, pulling her against him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, voice curious but light. She considered denying her wandering thoughts for a moment until she realized that the movie had rolled well into the credits.

"Movies, pizza night, walks in the park – when did you turn so domestic?" she teased, part of her honestly wondering how he seemed so content here. There was a slight pause, and she could feel him tense slightly before responding.

"When I saw how happy you were." he admitted, his voice soft. "They've told me what you were like – how you moved on, learned to live a normal life and smile again, but that part of you always seemed so sad. I couldn't – I can't bear the thought that I put that sadness there. I'd do anything to make you happy again.".

Rose reached up and loosely held his hand, keeping him from pulling his arm away when she moved. She then shifted, twisting and pulling away from him slightly so that she could talk to him face to face. He studied her warily, his carefully neutral expression hard to make out in the weak light from the tv.

"Doctor," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "it was _never_ your fault. None of it. You tried to save me and I wouldn't go – and then it was _my _choice to reopen the portal. Yes I've been sad, but only because I've missed you… No matter how hard I tried, it was always like there was something missing from my life... But now you're here, and I don't need you to change who you are to make me happy. It's you that I care about – my Doctor. Nothing will change that.". She squeezed his hand, pausing before she continued. "Besides… For me it's only been a year, give or take. And I've had my family, and Mickey… What have you been doing Doctor? Who've you had to hold your hand?". There was a pause, and for a moment she thought he'd decided not to answer her. Then he spoke, the slightest waver to his voice.

"I was running Rose.". A bitter laugh escaped him and he shook his head. "What I do best. Something was after me, something enormous and powerful and dark… And I ran. For years. All the while searching for a way to get back to you, pretending that I wouldn't have to face it eventually. I made friends of course, and a few traveled with me for a while. You would've loved them, they were _brilliant_. But in the end they all had somewhere else to be, someplace safe with people they loved… Eventually I found a way to get here – an ancient secret that almost died with the other Time Lords – but to do it I had to make sure that the thing following me couldn't make it here. I defeated it, barely. Almost killed me though…" he trailed off, pausing long enough that she thought he was finished. She was just about to say something when he spoke again, so softly that she could barely hear the words.

"I was so alone Rose. For such a long time.". After a moment she realized that he was crying, and felt tears sliding down her own face as well. Wordlessly, she released his hand and wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the awkward positioning caused by the couch. He did the same, holding her to him as if she would disappear again if he let go. They stayed that way for a while, letting the pain of their separation mend the slightest bit, reassuring themselves that the other was there, before reluctantly pulling apart.

"I could do it y'know." he commented, his voice returning to its normal evenness as he watched her in the dim light. "I could turn _domestic_.". He jokingly said the word as if it were a horrible trait to possess, but his tone was serious. "I've done it before. I had a family and a house. I settled down. If you wanted to…" he hesitated, unsure of her reaction, "we could stay here. With your family and Mickey, where it's safe. We don't have to leave.".

Rose was silent, studying him carefully. She had to admit, the past week had been amazing. But still…

"You wouldn't be happy." she said, making sure her words couldn't be mistaken for a question.

"As long as I'm with you I would be. You're worth it Rose. You've always been worth it. And besides… Maybe I'm finally done running.". She studied him for a minute more before leaning towards him, leaving barely any distance between them.

"I'm happy here – with you, my family, Mickey. But this is the type of city and life people work their entire lives to escape. Maybe someday Doctor. But I don't think either of us are quite done running yet.". Even in the weak light she couldn't miss the smile that lit up his face.

"Well in that case," he said, voice tinged with excitement, "the TARDIS has been charged up for three days now. We can leave first thing in the morning if you'd like.". Rose scoffed – he'd been telling her the TARDIS was still charging for the past week – and laughed. They relaxed back into the couch again, each facing the other.

"There's one thing I'd like to try before we leave.". Weariness from the long day pulled on her, but it was far overshadowed by her excitement to travel the universe with him again.

"And what's that?" he asked, grinning crookedly as if he already knew the answer.

"We never did have a real first kiss.".

"Well, we'll just have to change that now won't we.".


	9. Morning

_Sorry this update was so long in coming. The first week of school plus work meant that I was completely swamped – I swear it won't always be like that. School's out today for the hurricane, so I'll probably update again tonight/tomorrow or else I would have made this one longer. Good luck to anyone out there in Isaac's path.  
__Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh)._  


* * *

Rose woke up slowly, comfortable and lying against something warm. As her thoughts and the memory of the previous night's conversation returned, she realized where she was and slowly opened her eyes.

Weak sunlight crept into the room behind the blinds in the window, too dim and gray to be anything other than early morning. She was pressed against the inside of the couch, legs curled up underneath her and head resting on the Doctor's chest. He had somehow angled himself against a pile of pillows so that he now laid against the arm of the couch, body turned towards her and legs resting on the nearby coffee table. She could feel the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, and turned her head slightly to confirm that he was still asleep. His face was peaceful, with all hints of the weariness that hung over him in his waking hours erased. Not wanting to wake him, Rose closed her eyes again and let her thoughts wander.

The kiss had been amazing… He'd agreed with her teasing request easily, but his familiar hesitance had returned when he'd begun to move towards her. It was almost as if he found it hard to believe that someone would want to be near him, and was terrified of letting himself have even that moment of normalcy… But she'd leaned into the kiss, making the decision for him, and after a moment he returned it eagerly. It was gentle and caring, reminding her of the first time he'd kissed her while the power of the time vortex coursed through her veins. But this time there was no half-recalled rescue mission or sense of danger – it was just her and the Doctor. Together again after so long apart, finally admitting how they felt for the other…

Before she'd known it the kiss had deepened, driven by the same desperation that had come over them earlier, the same need to be with the other, to be _not alone _for the first time in so long. She'd wrapped her arms around his neck and he'd pulled her against him, so that their bodies were pressed together and they were both nearly sideways on the couch.

And then it was over. He broke the kiss, gently, and met her questioning eyes. His had been bright with joy, she remembered. Relief mingled with excitement – they had finally found each other, they were on their way to a new adventure. She was sure her eyes had held the same soft happiness, judging by the smile that lit his face. He'd kissed her on the forehead, murmuring something about sleep. The last thing she remembered was the warmth of lying against him, and the touch of his hand running through her hair.

The same thing pulled her out of her thoughts now, causing her to blink open her eyes from the half-sleep she'd fallen back into.

"Good morning." came a quiet voice, prompting her to turn and look up.

"Good morning to you too." she said, returning the greeting and smile in kind.

"I trust you slept well?" he shifted slightly to speak to her easier.

"Well I would have, if my pillow wasn't quite so bony.".

"At least you didn't have some insane blond taking up the entire couch." he replied, grinning. She scoffed and sat up, straightening her legs out and relieving the ache that had built up from staying in one position all night. Legs stretched out and lying against the back of the couch, the Doctor now had room to swing his legs onto the wide couch and turn on his side to face her.

"Rose, there are some things you need to know if you come with me." the Doctor began, suddenly serious. She nodded, curious about his choice of words. 'If?'.  
"I can travel from our universe to this one in the TARDIS, but it comes with limitations. You see… To cross universes there's a type of power that has to be emitted. During the cross that energy is absorbed, but if I travel with the TARDIS in this universe that power is sent out with nothing to harness it. It would cause a rip in the universes again.".

"So… When we leave…?" Rose began hesitantly, fearing the answer.

"We can come back." he quickly explained, "But to travel we'll have to go back to our own universe. It isn't really that much of a difference from before, just no phone calls. And a charge up period whenever we cross back over, but… Why are you smiling?".

"Two reasons." she replied, her grin teasing. "One being that I was willing to drop everything for you the day the Cybermen attacked and you still think that me going with you hinges on if I can call home every day or not. Two being that I think I have a solution regardless.". He glanced away for a second, surprised – as usual – at her response.

"But how could you…?" she only shook her head, her grin a promise to tell him later, so he continued. "Alright then… Anyways, to travel in this universe would also mean disrupting the way things have always been and altering the entire course of time here, and we can't have that." He flipped over to lie on his back, arms crossed and staring at the ceiling. "This universe has managed to survive without my meddling for all this time, they don't need me to start now.".

"Actually…" Rose said carefully, "You're here Doctor. There's a version of you in this universe.". She felt him stiffen, and he turned his head to give her a questioning look. "Well I mean, this universe didn't have a version of me because I was never born. But here you were still the only one that survived the time war… You-he appeared one day when we were trying to stave off an infestation. Showed up in a modern-day bus stop with a back door mind you, he'd fixed the TARDIS to change. And he looked just like you when we first met, all black jacket and big ears.". She was smiling, trying to tease him, but he remained tense beside her, a small frown visible in the dull morning light.

"Why didn't you go with him?" he finally asked, turning his head towards her. His eyes searched hers for an answer.

"Because he wasn't you." she said simply. "He looked like you and talked like you, but he wasn't my Doctor.". He relaxed a bit and she continued. "Beyond just that, he was violent and reckless. Dismissed us all as useless to help and killed every last one of the attacking aliens. He never offered them a way out.". This brought him up short, and the Doctor frowned in thought for a moment before realization appeared on his face.

"He was me… If I'd never met you. Or any of them. He was me without the touch of humanity to hold me back." He said, looking at her carefully and then turning to kiss her on the forehead gently. "Come on then," he jumped up from his position on the couch, holding out his hand to her. His eyes betrayed him, still lost in thought, but she went along with it. "if we're going to leave we may as well make them breakfast to put them in a good mood.".


	10. Moving On

Actual things will be happening next... Probably gunna update again Friday. Sorry about the breakfast food I have no idea what they eat in Britain. At all. Comments or critiques? Thank you for any and all reviews, you guys are lovely.  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters.

* * *

Rose was wiping the last bit of pancake batter off of the counter by the time her parents stumbled into the dining room. The baby squealed happily at seeing them, already sitting in a high chair and amusing himself by throwing dry cheerios at the Doctor.

"You made breakfast." Jackie stated, not bothering to hide her surprise. Two plates stacked high with pancakes sat in the center of the table, surrounded by more plates holding sausage and hashbrowns. She narrowed her eyes at Rose and then the Doctor. "What did you break?". The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but was silenced by a well-aimed cheerio that came from a direction curiously close to Rose.

"We didn't break anything mom," she said rolling her eyes but smiling. "Can't I just make breakfast for the family?".

"Not in my experience. The last time you cooked breakfast you'd crashed the car into some alien downtown." her mother replied drily. The Doctor glanced over at her, a question and amusement mingling on his face, and Pete laughed and led his wife over to a chair.

"I for one won't turn down a free meal. If the car happens to need another new paint job we'll find out later. Thank you Rose, Doctor." he nodded gratefully in their direction, sitting down at the table next to his wife. The Doctor smiled cheerily and took a seat next the baby, while Rose threw away the paper towel in her hand and slid into a chair next to him.

"We would've had bacon too, but apparently Time Lords don't understand how to use stoves." she said, throwing a teasing smile at the Doctor as she reached for the nearest plate of pancakes.

"Hey!" he protested, voice laced with false indignation. "It makes perfect sense that cooking something at twice the heat would make it cook twice as fast-"

"It also makes perfect sense," she interrupted, adding another pancake to the small pile he'd placed on his own plate, "that making something twice as hot will make the grease jump twice as high. Although the lack of bacon might be worth the sight of watching you fight off a stove with a sonic screwdriver.". He crossed his arms defiantly, betrayed by the bright smile on his face. When the doorbell rang a second later, he was the only one who didn't look surprised.

"That'll be Mickey." he said with a smile, turning and shouting "COME IN MICKEY!" towards the entryway. Rose shrugged in response to her parents' confused expressions and turned to greet her friend as he walked into the room.

"Morning." he said cheerily, sitting down next to Jackie and immediately pulling up the nearest plate of sausage, looking totally at home. "The Doctor called – asked me over for breakfast. You know I'll never turn down food." he explained, picking up a fork as if to make his point. Rose gave the Doctor a searching look, but only received a smile and a wink in response. After that the breakfast proceeded like normal – easy conversation and cheerios bouncing across the table from Tony's direction.

When they'd all had their fill and only a few scattered pancakes and sausage remained on the plates, Mickey received a phone call to attend to something or another. Rose's parents busied themselves with the baby and the mess on the table while she and the Doctor walked Mickey out to his car. He looked at each of them carefully before speaking.

"You're leaving aren't you.". There was no plea in his voice, no trace of the silent begging or grief those words had held in the past. Rose nodded, refusing to meet his eyes, but when he spoke again he was smiling as if to say 'I told you so', and his words held no trace of bitterness.

"I knew you wouldn't stay. Even when you said he was gone for good, that there were no more answers, I knew one of you would find a way. It's what you do.". He waited for Rose to meet his eyes before smiling broadly and stepping forward to hug her tightly, kissing her on the cheek. "You never were the type who was meant to stay in one place for too long. Just promise to come and visit me.".

Rose laughed, relieved at his easy acceptance. He'd come so far from the terrified boy who'd clung to her in fear of the alien man in a box. He was good here – he had a life and a job and a family who needed him. Rose's family had each other and the baby to look after. She needed to go find her own life and make her own adventures now.

"One last thing though – the project we've been working on, do you think it's strong enough to transmit a signal through? Just enough for a phone call reach?". Next to her, the Doctor frowned in confusion but didn't comment. Mickey thought for a moment before responding.

"Yeah, I think we could manage that. Give us a week and we'll test it out.". Rose nodded and he turned to the Doctor, shaking his hand firmly. "It was nice seeing you again Doctor. Keep her safe.". The Doctor nodded seriously and Mickey turned to Rose to hug her once more before climbing into his car. "Good bye Rose. Don't you dare forget to call.".

When he'd driven away, Rose let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding on to and turned towards her house. Now for the difficult part.

A little over an hour later, she and the Doctor were standing in her room in front of the TARDIS. Despite several protests, suitcases and food had already been loaded onto the ship – now all that was left was to board.

Her father had taken the news relatively well, but her mother was reluctant to let her leave. Several times she'd started to say something, but a look from her husband had quieted her. In the end she hugged both Rose and the Doctor, whispering fiercely to the latter that he keep her safe. The baby, oblivious, just hugged them both and made a game of pulling fiercely on the Doctor's hair.

"Project?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow and disrupting the silence. She looked at him blankly for a moment before realizing what he was asking.

"Oh… Well you see, we – me, Mickey, the institute – were working on building a machine…" she said, evading the question.

"A machine for?".

"Well… To get me back. To find a way back to the other universe… To you.". She met his eyes, blushing slightly, and watched his face light up with a broad smile. He stepped towards her and, still hesitant in his actions, kissed her briefly. When he pulled away he watched her carefully, smile faltering a bit.

"It will be dangerous. I can't guarantee that nothing will happen to you Rose… You know that.". He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and let his hand rest on her cheek, eyes searching hers and almost seeming to beg her to say no. To send him away and stay where she would be safe and live a normal life. She read the fear in his eyes – a dual fear born of both her coming and of her staying – and reached up to place her hand over his, holding it in place.

"What will it take to convince you that you can't get rid of me that easily?". She smiled and curled her fingers around his hand, pulling it away so that she could hold it tightly. "Come on then. I do believe I remember you promising me the universe Doctor.".

He smiled brilliantly and squeezed her hand before stepping towards the TARDIS and opening the door dramatically. She laughed and led the way into the ship, glancing back at her bedroom once more before shutting the door.

Once they were inside he let go of her hand and made his way to the control panel, looking to her for confirmation. When she nodded, his hands began flying over the controls. Something was pulled, something else was pushed, several things were hit repeatedly with a small hammer or rolled, kicked, or clicked. The center of the machine began to pulse, and then everything was a whirl of shaking and turning.

When they stopped, the silence was almost deafening. She'd been on many trips in the TARDIS, but this one was rougher than most. The Doctor was lying on his back on the floor, but when she released her death grip on the railing next to her and stood up he leapt to his feet with a grin.

"Where are we?" she asked, glancing at the door warily.

"No clue! I can only get us back to this universe, not to an exact location. We could be in Florida, or Mars, or somewhere next to a black hole. Interesting story about that one actually…". She rolled her eyes at his excited chatter and walked to the door, followed closely by him.

"Let's find out then." she said simply, opening the door with a flourish. Immediately several guns were aimed in her direction and orders were being shouted. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the TARDIS, the Doctor shadowing her passively, and before they knew it they were surrounded by a ring of six men. Each was dressed for war, scowling, and holding a gun at the ready.

"Hello." came the cheery greeting from her side. "I'm the Doctor.".


	11. Whispers

_Sorry again for the long while since updating – I swear there'll be another update later tonight._  
_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters._

* * *

"Are you the ones who took them?" shouted one of the soldiers, echoed by another. A growled order from one of the men brought silence, save for the sound of distant engines.

"State your name and purpose." he ordered, stepping forward slightly from the rest of the circle. He was a taller man, with a broad figure and the first signs of age touching at his face – from the way he held himself he made it clear that he was in charge.

By now the two of them both stood with their hands held out peacefully, proving that they lacked any weapons. Rose stood her ground, refusing to flinch under the man's gaze, and the Doctor simply smiled amiably and motioned towards a pocket in a "may I" gesture. The man nodded, although his hands tightened noticeably around his gun.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Rose, my companion." he said, pulling out the pad of psychic paper and holding it out as proof – there was barely any hesitation before the word companion. "I'm here to help.". The soldier read the paper carefully before grunting an acceptance and relaxing his stance. A nod towards the others caused them to do the same.

"So tell me – what's been going on here? Why are your men so suspicious – not that I don't love having guns pointed at me on a first date, but really, most people at least get to know me before making that decision.". Beside him Rose struggled to hide a grin, although the men didn't seem quite as amused. "Who's been taken?". The tall soldier sighed, lowering his gun and letting it hang loosely by his side before answering in a weary voice.

"Somethin's been coming. It appears at any time, anywhere in the ship, always with this eerie noise – like voices brushing against your mind. We haven't seen it except for a glimpse of silver here and there, but it's taken three of our men.".

The Doctor frowned and began to look around, assessing and taking in the surroundings. He'd already gathered what type of ship they were on – a cargo ship really, important enough to be guarded by soldiers, roughly what year it was – 3520s era, and several ideas for what the hidden creature may be, by the time a voice spoke up from behind him.

"Sir, as important as introductions might be shouldn't we be moving?" urged a much younger man, barely tamed nervousness wavering on the edge of his voice. The Doctor and Rose turned towards him, taking in his rigid posture and white-knuckled grip on his gun. He was scared, terrified even, of whatever was out there. "We'd heard the noise here right before you'd arrived." he explained to the Doctor, eyes glancing about to all sides. Then, more persistently, "We have to keep moving.".

Rose frowned, glancing at the Doctor before taking a few steps towards the boy. He flinched but stood his ground, watching her warily.

"Why are you so much more scared than the others?" she asked curiously, holding a careful hand out as if to steady him. He moved away from the hand as if she were trying to hit him and then froze on the spot, the color draining from his face. A second later she heard it too – a sort of whispering pressing up against the edges of her mind, pushing at it as if it was trying to find a way in. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the words, they slipped away from her reach. She could tell, however, that the noise came from a direction behind the soldier standing in front of her.

The boy remained frozen for a moment more as activity bustled around behind Rose – commands were issued and feet began to pound across a hard floor – and then a strange panic lit his eyes. He rushed towards Rose, as if to move past her, but when he was close enough to her he put his hands on her back and pushed forwards, away from the group and towards the sound.

Now she could see it too – an ethereal mist, solid one moment in a swirling cloud and fading the next - right in front of her. As it loomed over her, tendrils of it touching at the air and moving in her direction, she could feel the whispering growing louder and louder in her mind, the words becoming almost deafening but still slipping away like half-recalled memories. It was too late to react or stop her fall – the soldier had, in his panic, pushed her right towards it – and now she felt an icy cold flutter against her skin where it touched her.

Behind her there were shouts. Growled commands, the sharp sound of guns being readied, her Doctor yelling her name. Footsteps moved towards her before ending in a struggle that pulled their owner away, and then gunshots roared around her. She wished that she could care more… Concentrate on what was happening and understand. Where was the Doctor? Why was she lying on the ground? Why was it so _cold? _But the whispering ate away at her mind, causing every thought to slip away until darkness started to take over. Was she moving? Were the gunshots still ringing out or was that just the roaring in her ears? Why could she only see a silvery mist?

One thing rang through the numbness in her mind – one word, above the clamor and noise that made no sense to her. "Rose.". The word was desperate and filled with pain and anger, calling her back. She should know that voice, shouldn't she? Such a familiar voice… So sad. She struggled to remember, to move, but it was all so far away now. Everything was moving so fast. Finally she closed her eyes and gave up, falling limply into the cold and the darkness.


	12. Last of His Kind

_So this one is pretty long to make up for the fact that I've been in school and not updating as much. Reviews and critiques are welcome. I already have a lot of ideas for where this is going (it's going to be pretty long), it's just a matter of typing them all up in a way that makes sense haha.  
__I've also started another fanfiction, a collection of one shots (unrelated to this story) mainly concerning Rose and The Doctor, or other companions. It's in my stories, so check it out if you want to :)_  
_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters._

* * *

"Let go of me!" the Doctor growled, twisting out of the soldiers' grasp. "What have you done?!" he stalked towards the boy, towering over him. "_What have you done!?_". The young soldier seemed to regain his senses and his face immediately drained of any color it still possessed. Regret and fear warred for control over his features as he stared up at the taller man.

"I- I didn't-" he stammered, shrinking under his gaze.

"You didn't what? You didn't mean to turn tail and run like a coward? You didn't mean to send someone to their death? You didn't mean to-" his voice rose with each new question, thick with barely contained rage, until he was cut short by a growled command.

"_Doctor._" the soldier in charge stepped forward, gun still at the ready. "He's just a kid. He was scared. We'll find your friend, but we need to stay calm and think about this.".

"Calm? _Calm_?!" the Doctor whirled on him, face contorted with anger. "You're one to speak, standing there with a gun still smoking. Who shoots at a captive? _Why _would you do that? What if you'd shot her?!".

"It's protocol. The enemy was in sight, we had to fire. And we were trying to save her. The guns-" his attempts to placate the man were cut off by another outburst.

"Guns. Yes, the guns. Because when do you ever find a _stupid _human without a gun? Over 900 years of travelling, humanity stretching throughout billions of years and thousands of planets, and they never once forget to bring along the guns." he spat, tone acidic. The soldiers were quiet for a moment, none of them daring to step forward and speak. Finally one, a tall woman with determined eyes, stepped towards him carefully.

"He lost his younger brother to the thing yesterday.". Her voice was crisp and even, a world away from his own. "What he did was wrong, but he is nothing more than a scared child, and yelling at him or us will accomplish nothing. If you want to see your friend again we need to come up with a plan, and fast.".

The Doctor took a deep breath, looking between the boy cowering nearby and the woman carefully reaching towards him as if he were a wild animal. His shoulders slumped and the anger left his eyes – what had he become in these three years? He gathered his thoughts and nodded at the woman, already formulating various solutions in his mind. Rose was still alive, and he would find her. And the others. He just needed to concentrate.

"Take me to the main controls.". His voice left no room for argument, but was calm and collected once more. The man in charge exchanged glances with the woman and called the men to order, leading the group down the passageway at a swift pace.

* * *

Rose came to slowly, as if a fog was dissipating from her mind. Her thoughts unfroze and began to flow again, allowing her to remember what had happened. The soldier had pushed her towards the mist, hadn't he? And then – the Doctor, he was going to be frantic trying to find her. But where was she?

Slowly she opened her eyes, testing the muscles throughout the rest of her body to make sure that everything was in order. She wasn't just a floating head – that was a good start. When her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room she saw that it was mostly empty, with strange machines lined against the wall on one side and several doors leading away. The engines must be close by as well, judging by the steady thrumming in the floor. She pulled herself into a sitting position, pausing to be sure that she wasn't too disoriented, and then stood up and made her way towards the nearest door. It was locked, but behind it she could hear a sound suspiciously similar to a human snoring. That was when she heard the voice.

"RoseTyler." it said, spreading through the inside of her mind instead of from any physical source. She clutched her head, fearful of the noise, but it spoke again with a quiet voice that felt like silk brushing against her thoughts. "RoseTyler do not be afraid.". The voice was serene, and almost child-like in its tenor. It said her name as if it were one word.

"Where are you?" she stammered, backing away from the door slowly and turning around. "Why do you know my name?". The swirling mist from earlier appeared, creeping out from behind one of the machines. It pulsed with a silver light that strengthened and weakened at intervals, making it appear solid one moment and evanescent the next. The creature cautiously moved towards her, hanging back as if fearful of her presence.

"We know your name because it is in your mind, RoseTyler." it hummed, the voice in her mind staying the same volume despite the distance of the physical form.

"You can read my thoughts? And who are you? Why do you say "we" – are there more of you?". Unnerved by the possibility of it invading her mind, she threw the questions at it while her eyes searched for an escape route. It visibly flinched at the last question, shrinking into itself slightly and sinking towards the ground as if weary.

"We do not read thoughts RoseTyler, we only know certain things. And we feel emotions – your people would call us "empaths". We are- _I_ am the last of my race RoseTyler. The rest of my people were destroyed, and I carry their memories with me.". It fell silent for a moment, watching her. "Please, we do not have much time. I am dying. I need your help.".

Rose considered what it was saying briefly. She wanted to distrust it – it had kidnapped her and knocked her out after all – but there was an undeniable childlike quality to the voice, an innocence that made the plea for help seem all the more genuine.

"Why should I trust you? You took those men, and you knocked me unconscious.". It seemed to sigh, deflating slightly again before answering.

"One of the humans on this ship took me away from my planet. I was running, hiding from the Dark One, when the man found me. So alone RoseTyler, so alone… My people are destroyed…" it shuddered and paused, continuing after a moment. "I did not wish to take them away, only to speak to them. I am the last and I am dying RoseTyler, I did not wish to die alone… But these humans, their minds are too clouded with fear and anger to hear my words. They attacked me, and I had to put them to sleep – I had not the strength for anything else. I took them here, hoping to speak to them when they awoke, but they only lashed out. They will not listen RoseTyler. They say that if I let them out they will harm me. The anger of this race radiates from them in waves.".

The spirals curling away from its body were lashing the air now, the center of it pulsing rapidly. The voice in her mind sounded so scared, so pained… She took a few steps forward, holding out her hand cautiously and placing it against the creature. She was surprised to touch something almost solid, like cold water pulsing against her hand. It quieted, the pulsing light slowing to a more regular rhythm again, and the creature once again seemed to sigh.

"You are not like the others RoseTyler. That is why I needed you. Your mind is not clouded with anger – I knew that you would hear me, and help me. You will help me, yes RoseTyler?" it pleaded in a small voice. She smiled and nodded, blinking away tears from her eyes. This creature was the last of its kind… And they had stolen it away and terrified it when all it wanted was a friend.

"Of course I'll help you. But the Doctor will be looking for me. He's probably on his way by now…" she lapsed into thought, wondering if he was already searching. The creature moved away from her, pulsing excitedly.

"The Doctor travels with you?!" it asked in her mind, voice now holding a grave tone that she couldn't quite understand. She nodded, and one of the wisp-like tendrils moved away from the creature and stopped at her head. "May I?" the voice asked. Rose nodded again, slightly reluctant, and suddenly she could see a different part of the ship.

In front of her the Doctor was using his sonic screwdriver to manipulate a large computer monitor. Wires lay nearby, tangled and rearranged from their original order, and the screen depicted a large map that seemed to be a layout of the ship they stood in. A woman stood nearby, watching and offering assistance when he requested it. Rose watched the scene for a moment more, tempted to reach out and touch him to see if it was real, before the small room reappeared in front of her eyes.

The mist like creature was smaller now, as if it had expended too much energy on the vision, but when it spoke in her mind its voice was strong – it sounded older though, and very sad.

"So that is the Doctor now…" it mused, weariness clear in its tone. "He has been running for so long RoseTyler. He carries with him so much sadness… And now anger has tainted his heart. Beware RoseTyler, for he is not the same man you once knew.". Rose watched the creature for a moment before speaking.

"At the end of the day he is still my Doctor. And, like you, he is the last of his kind. I will not leave him. If he chooses to keep running, then at least he will not be running alone.". The creature seemed to nod, accepting her statement.

"You are a good human RoseTyler. You will save the Doctor.". With that, it passed by her and headed towards the door where she'd heard the snoring earlier. When it spoke again, the childlike tone was back. "Now you must help me reunite the humans. I do not have much time left.".

* * *

The Doctor pulled another set of wires together, barely flinching away from the sparks produced, and then resumed his sonic rearrangement of the computer's software.

"If I can sensitive the stabilizer system so that it picks up on something as subtle as body heat, we can pinpoint the exact location in the ship it's taken them." he muttered, explaining his plan to the woman whether or not she was listening. She just nodded, examining him with sharp eyes before speaking.

"Doctor… What makes you so positive that she's still alive?" she asked, nodding towards his feverish work on the computer system. Once they'd calmed him down and brought him here, he'd sent most of them out to scout for trouble and started work immediately. Intrigued, she had volunteered to stay behind with the excuse of helping him. At her question he paused in his work, sonic screwdriver freezing in place over the console.

"Because I made a promise." he said simply, refusing to look up at her. His tone betrayed nothing, but his shoulders were stiff and his grip tightened on the screwdriver. Not waiting for a reply, he dove back into his work and seconds later the screen registered several beeping icons splayed across the map. Some scattered ones were clearly the patrolling crew, but near the engine room three red dots sat close together, a lone one moving nearby. He stood up and pocketed his screwdriver with a flourish, flashing her a grin.

"To the valve room then." he said cheerily, as if heading out for a stroll. She scrambled to grab her things, glancing at the screen again.

"But that's all the way on the other side of the ship!" she protested, wondering how the creature had taken them all there. The Doctor only smiled and winked at her, opening the door.

"We'd better start running then.".


	13. Darkness

_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters._

* * *

The sound of gunshots drove the group into a full out run, the head soldier taking the lead and so being the first to burst through the side door in one of the hallways leading to the engines.

The scene which greeted them caused the soldiers to freeze and forced the Doctor to elbow past them to find the source of the noise. A pulsing ethereal creature hovered in front of Rose, who was cornered against a wall by a group of three men with guns. A yell from the Doctor caused them to lower the guns by habit, and subsequent orders from the older soldier brought the weapons to the ground and the men to attention. The creature hesitated, spinning in midair in front of Rose for a second more, before shrinking back in on itself.

"Doctor!" Rose said, voice tinged with more relief to see him again than it should have held. The ominous words of earlier, combined with being shot at by three men, had shaken her up. His face lit up at her voice, but he still kept a wary distance from her and the ghost-like being in front of her. It only spun madly for a second before darting behind her back, as if hiding.

Rose turned to the creature, ignoring the commotion of the men behind her. It was much smaller now, having expended too much of it's energy to shield her from the bullets aimed her way after the men had been allowed to wake. The wavery light it gave off was dim, and the pulse much slower.

"Not much time remains RoseTyler." the voice whispered against her thoughts, sounding small and weak. "I must speak to the Doctor," it slowly spiraled to hover above her now cupped hands and held a small tendril of mist towards her again. "may I?".

When Rose turned to face the group, her eyes were lit with a silvery glow. Her voice, when she spoke, was soft and lilting, seeming to follow some unheard song.

"He is the one who took me from my dying home." 'she' said, nodding in the direction of the terrified looking boy who'd shoved Rose. The Doctor flinched at the change in her but didn't move to interfere, watching with a carefully blank face and calculating eyes. "We will speak to the Doctor alone.".

The older soldier stepped forward to deny the request, hand tight on his gun, but the Doctor only turned to him and shook his head. His eyes were hard and solemn.

"Leave. I'll deal with _him_later." his voice held a quiet threat that caused the man to hesitate and then nod, calling the others out of the room. Their voices and angry shouts quickly faded away as the door clanged shut, and the Doctor stepped towards Rose and the creature, a look of awe to appearing on his face.

"You're beautiful." he said softly, talking to the small light. "You're a Wisp, aren't you. But so young – where are the rest of your people? Why can't you talk to me directly?".

"They are dead." it said through Rose with a grave finality, ignoring his latter question. Her eyes bored into him, watching the pain and anger that flashed across his features. He understood all too well.

"But the Wisps are a peaceful race – the planet was protected. How could – what happened?".

"I carry a message from my people, Doctor. You must listen. You must understand." the voice implored him, once again ignoring his question, before taking on an ancient tremor. "For many years, the universe sang the song of a wonderful man – a man with many faces and a life that stretched through the ages. My people heard the song, and we added our own melodies. He was a lonely god and a quiet savior, traveling the stars and saving many people. He was the man who never would. He was ice and fire, rage and empathy, the oncoming storm to any who would choose to bring pain or suffering. But he was running. The man who would never grow old, who would never face his past. And one day a new song arrived, spreading black fear through every far crevice of space. A darkness, a monster, descending with a terrible cruelty. Nowhere was safe. Entire planets were destroyed, picked apart at the mercy of a predator.". It paused, the light in Rose's palm growing slightly dimmer, before continuing.

"You know the darkness Doctor. You know the demon. You are the only one in all of time and space that holds the chance to destroy it. It has destroyed us, and now the last of our race dies. You must stop running old man. You must bring back the light.".

The Doctor, eyes brimming with unshed tears and face lined with fear and regret, rushed forwards. His voice held an edge of panic.

"You have to tell me what to do. How to stop it. I tried – I thought I'd destroyed it, how can I-"

"You thought wrong." Rose hissed, the small light in her hands lashing the air. "How foolish of you, Doctor of old, to think that it would be that simple. We do not hold the answer, but for that you need her. RoseTyler. You need her humanity, else you will fall prey to the darkness.". The Wisp faded further, and the silvery light in Rose's eyes flickered and faltered for a moment. "We must leave. Avenge our race Doctor, all of those who have been lost. And" she faltered, "when the time comes, you must save her.".

"What do you mean? How? Tell me. I can't do this. Please." he pleaded, his entire body rigid and tears staining his face. How many had died because of the decision he'd made that day? How was he supposed to fight this? What would happen that he would need to save her? He couldn't lose her again… Thoughts rushed through his mind, his past rising up to haunt him and the fear that had lied mostly dormant since he'd been with Rose swallowing him.

But it was too late for any more answers from the Wisps – the light faded from behind Rose's eyes and she blinked to consciousness, confusion and then concern crossing her face as she saw the Doctor. She stumbled forwards, towards him, but before she could say anything the now nearly invisible Wisp in her hand spoke up again. It was barely there, seeming more fragile than a trail of smoke.

"Will you take my memories RoseTyler? Will you carry the memories of my people?". The voice was barely more than a whisper now. She nodded mutely, unable to look away from the raw pain on the Doctor's face – a pain he was desperately scrambling to hide behind a mask now. The Wisp turned ice cold once again in her hand and a pure white light flared up, forcing her to glance down at the creature one last time.

Memories flooded into her mind. Towering forms of ice, expanses of glittering snow that shifted and sparkled like a sea of diamonds, a sky lit with trails of light. Laughter and talk and the feel of being part of a family. Some things were entirely alien to her, while others were universal and familiar. Everything flooded through her mind at once, washing away all other thought.

Songs – some as old as time itself – echoed across her mind. Not songs made of instruments or voice, but formed of pure emotions and memories. Two stood out against the rush of memories – a beautiful but haunting song that spoke of a lonely god, and a dark and fearful song that sent terror through her veins. The songs rose above the clamor of memories, lashing and twining together until it was impossible to tell which would rise above the other. A scene of what was to come flashed through her mind, and the horror of it caused her to yell out and drop to her knees.

And then the light was gone, and she was falling, darkness taking over her vision. Someone caught her and then she slipped away into the calm of sleep.

* * *

He stalked towards the TARDIS, the picture of normal once more. The humans had been dealt with – the boy was imprisoned pending trial and the others had gotten a good lecture on not attacking every moving thing they saw like a pack of wild apes. He'd carried Rose back to her old room and left her there on the bed, able to at least guess at what had occurred. She would be awake now though, and when he walked into the spaceship he didn't bother to head to the same place.

Instead he flipped some switches and pulled several levers, holding onto the railing as the TARDIS – protesting all the while – left this accursed spaceship and its angry humans behind. There wasn't enough energy recharged into the TARDIS to take them far, but he was only aiming for somewhere in empty space. Somewhere where there was nothing to see but stars. Then he headed up the stairway, down the hallway, two rights and a left, and to the doorway of a small room.

Rose was there, facing away from him. Most of the far wall consisted of a window that viewed – when the TARDIS was stationary – the world outside. Right now the view overlooked the vastness of space, dotted with the light of distant planets and galaxies.

"How'd you know I would be here?" Rose asked, not turning away from the window. He walked towards her, stopping a few feet away.

"It's been a while, but you're still my Rose." he said softly. On a particularly bad day, she would always come here. When they lost someone, or one or both of them had been hurt. She came to watch and think – to remember.

"You've changed so much though." she replied quietly, looking small and alone framed against the vacuum of space.

"I have…" he hesitated – he couldn't deny it any more. "Is that… Alright?" he asked, fearing her answer. He wasn't the same person. He knew now why the Wisp couldn't speak to him, and that truth terrified him. If she decided to go home… He wouldn't blame her. After a moment she turned, a soft smile contrasting the tears that still remained on her face.

"You're still my Doctor.". She held out her hand and he took it, relief filling him but failing to erase the doubts. She frowned again, ghosts and fear haunting her eyes. "You were in so much pain. I don't know what it said through me…" she paused, and her grip on his hand tightened. When she spoke again her voice was steady, but beneath it there was fear. "I could hear a song. It was so full of pain and sadness Doctor. What is the darkness they speak of? What could possibly make them so terrified? _What is coming_?".

Something in his eyes broke at the fear in her tone and he pulled her into a tight hug, holding her to him as if he could protect her with the fierceness of his love. She slumped against him and let the tears come again, crying into his shoulder.

"It is power gone wrong. A merciless force of pure wrath and anger. It is a destroyer of life and worlds…" he hesitated, voice wavering, but forced himself to put up a good front. "I'll find it and destroy it Rose. I won't let it get to you. I swear…" he trailed off, feeling her grip on him tighten.

Rose held him and closed her eyes, forcing herself to savor the fact that she was here and in his arms. She knew why he couldn't answer her, and she wouldn't force it. She couldn't let him know that she knew… She couldn't tell him what the song had already showed her… That she'd already seen the face of the man who would kill her.


	14. Hold on to Memories

_Sort of a different chapter… I swear the next one will be more normal again. Reviews or critiques? I'll try to update again soon.  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters.  
_

* * *

They remained that way for a while longer, each clinging to the other as an anchor against the terror they'd fallen prey to. Each was afraid for different reasons, but they were the same in the end – neither could bear to lose the other. At the same time, neither could bear to end this moment. They knew what was coming, or else feared the worst, but for this one moment in time they were together and entirely safe in each other's arms.

The moment ended though. Rose's tears began to slow, and she pulled away so that she could speak to him face to face.

"The Wisp…?" she knew it's name now, but there was no human word for it. It was more like a song or a feeling, a hum in the air. She knew the truth, but she had to hear it. The Doctor, still bearing the ghost of fear in his features, shook his head and took her hand in his.

"It's gone then…" she muttered, biting her lip to hold back a new wave of tears at this confirmed knowledge. The hand around hers tightened, and when he spoke the Doctor sounded very tired and very old.

"If something can be remembered, it is never truly gone.". She studied his eyes and saw the pain of ancient scars there before nodding and turning to look back out at the stars. For a few moments they stood in a silence thick with memories, two small figures with hands linked together outlined against the vastness of space.

"Tell me about it." she requested quietly, watching him. His only reply was a questioning look. "Gallifrey. Your home planet.". Measuring the surprise on his face, she continued before he could interrupt. "They still sung songs about it, in their language. The ancient planet and the Time Lords of old. They remembered, and there are others too… What was it like?".

A soft smile lit his face, some of the weariness he seemed to bend under fleeing his eyes as he began to recount stories of his old home. He spoke of ancient councils and traditions, friends and family, defenders of the laws of time and companions of the TARDISs – things he had left unsaid, or shared with no one, for so long. His voice wove stories and memories, solemn at times and joyful at others, his eyes far away and seeing places and people lost to time.

At some point she must have yawned, enthralled by his stories but weary from the happenings of the day, despite the brief sleep she'd fallen into earlier. Not ceasing in his recountings, he led her by the hand to her room and she found herself lying against him as he spoke, her head buried against his chest.

Comfortable and warm, sleep began to overtake her and at some point words faded into dreams and images in her mind. When he realized that she was asleep he fell quiet, listening to the even sound of her breathing and letting his mind continue to wander through memories that he'd long kept locked away. That night they both dreamt of crimson fields and towering mountains outlined against a distant sky.

* * *

A week passed before it happened. The TARDIS was recharging, left to drift in space far enough from any suns or planets to be pulled in by gravity. Rose quickly familiarized herself once more with the complex map of hallways and locations. Some things had changed – the library was redecorated, the pool had moved – but mostly it was the same expanse of hallways and hidden rooms full of random bits and ends.

They found ways to keep themselves busy, like they always had. Life with the Doctor hadn't been a constant stream of traveling and trouble – sometimes after a particularly bad trip they would just stay in the TARDIS for a while, reading or talking, coping with what they had seen or done. For some reason that she couldn't quite place, the old ship just felt like home. It was the safest place she could imagine, and it seemed like they both needed that quiet comfort right now.

So they fell back into their routines. Took turns making meals (despite all of her teasing, the Doctor really could cook a decent dinner), joked and laughed together, spent time in an easy silence, thinking or reading. They'd taken to sleeping in Rose's bed every night – a habit formed mainly out of talking for hours and happening to fall asleep, and the simple need to know that the other was there.

Still, despite the easy relationship (were they a relationship? They were surely something more than friends, but once again Rose found herself unable to quite define what they were), the things to come hung over them. They didn't speak of it, but it was still there in their eyes. Fear.

Some nights Rose would dream of the dark song that had filled her mind when the Wisp touched her. She would see the scene, the things she knew were coming for her, vividly in her mind. Death and destruction danced at the edges of the melody. She knew that when these nightmares came she would thrash around in her sleep, always waking up to a dark room in a cold sweat. When this happened the Doctor would always be awake, waiting to comfort her - he would gather her into his arms and hold her against him until the shaking quieted and she could slip back into sleep. He never asked what she saw, but the darkness hid the pain in his face every time she began to mutter in her sleep.

At some point it had to end though. The day came, after what seemed like both the shortest and longest week of her life, when the TARDIS gave the signal that it was recharged. Neither said it, but they both knew what it meant – knew that they had to stop hiding and seek out the very darkness that terrified them. People needed them… Entire planets would be destroyed if they didn't start looking somewhere.

Shockingly their first big clue came to them. Moments after the TARDIS was recharged a distress signal registered on the main console screen, offering to pull the ship through to the location. They exchanged a look – they both knew that this could be a trap – but Rose nodded and the Doctor began to press the correct series of buttons. They had to go.

The TARDIS powered up around them, shaking slightly as it was pulled through space and time to the location of the signal. When it landed there was only dead silence. The Doctor removed his sonic screwdriver, gripping it in one hand and taking Rose's hand in his other. They moved towards the door slowly, each already calculating and preparing for whatever may be behind it, and it was opened with a shaking hand.

"No.". The Doctor's voice was small, so small, and a muffled sob came from next to him. The screwdriver fell to the ground – no one noticed. Everything went numb save for where a warm hand held his, clutching tightly enough to hurt.


	15. Too Late

_Ok ok sorry for the long wait – I'll try not to leave such huge cliffhangers again guys, haha. Critiques or reviews are welcome._  
_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters._

* * *

It was the smell that hit them first – a wall of acrid smoke, decay, and blood. Then the blistering heat, rolling over them in waves, and a low roar in the distance. The land before them was lit only by what little light could cut through a sky choked with black smoke, and a sinister red glow on the too-near horizon spoke of a fire that was still burning strong.

The land immediately around them had already been scarred by the flames - the ground was a dead black, still radiating heat, and the forms of strange buildings peered out from the dark smoke around them with charred and melted sides.

It was the figures that lay abandoned at the foot of the structures and sprawled in the scarred earth though, that caused Rose to stumble back. One hand flew to her mouth and the other dug into the Doctor's, and then things were spinning and her legs were weak beneath her. At the same time, he stood entirely rigid next to her, a statue emanating regret and concern.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly, "So, so sorry…".

Something inside Rose snapped, and she rushed forward in the direction of the nearest crumpled heap. A hard tug jerked her back, keeping her inside the doorway. Then she was struggling, strong arms wrapped around her chest and torso, restraining her. He was shouting – or maybe it was her – and the door slammed shut in front of her. She blinked and the hands had moved to her shoulders, the Doctor moving to stand directly in front of her.

"We have to help them! We have to-" she heard herself yelling, feeling as if she were watching the scene play out in front of her, happening to someone else. He was saying something, fury in his eyes that had nothing to do with her. She concentrated, focusing in on the words.

"There's nothing we can do Rose. They're dead. That isn't normal fire out there – fire doesn't melt buildings and leave behind bodies and blood. It's living flames. Take one step off of the TARDIS and it will destroy you.". His voice was hard, launching into explanation mode. The calculations and figures were already running through his mind, wild solutions thrown out as impossible or futile almost the instant they were conceived.

By the look of the flames – the entire horizon was tinged with it – it had already spread across the entire land. He knew better than most how this particular monster hunted… Once it broke loose on a planet, there were few things in the universe that could halt its progress. At this degree of power, there would have been no survivors.

Still… He let go of Rose, watching her out of the corner of his eye to be sure that she wouldn't try to rush outside again, and moved to the console in the center of the ship. There might be some hope, somewhere. If it hadn't spread too far… At the touch of a few buttons, a screen depicting the planet appeared, scans running over and throughout it. He watched the results anxiously, barely noting that Rose had moved to his side. After a moment more the scan was complete – no life signs were present.

His head fell, hand slamming down against the railing of the console with a clang. There really was nothing he could do… A series of beeps caused him to bring his attention back to the console – it was receiving a signal, and at the touch of a button the screen flickered to a view of the area around them. The view showed the area directly behind the TARDIS though, revealing more of the pale city engulfed by smoke and small figures on the ground. One thing stood out– a streak of blood red against gray, glaring up at them from the side of a building. Two words, written in the circular letterings of his people - "Too late".

In an instant, the Doctor transformed into someone else. This was beyond the Oncoming Storm, or the rage of a lonely god. This was pure hatred. His eyes were impossibly hard as he glared at the screen in front of him, hands gripping the railing tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

"It was all a game." he said quietly, voice deadly calm. "They all died for him to leave us a message.".

Rose watched him, recognizing the writing as Gallifreyan but unable to read it. His tone and glare sent a chill through her though, and for a moment she was seized by the wild fear that he would turn that gaze on her. She swallowed it back, forcing herself to step forward and flip the screen off. He stared blankly at the dark screen for a while longer, thoughts tearing a path through his mind, until she touched his hand. She found herself flinching away as he turned towards her, but her fear was for naught – the minute his eyes met hers they softened into her Doctor's once more.

A terrible sadness replaced the anger, and he grasped her wrists as if she was the only thing tethering him here. He didn't break though – the tears didn't fall. Instead he watched her for a moment, as if sizing her up and weighing what he was about to say. She knew what it would be before he'd begun to speak.

"This is too dangerous Rose. I can't-"

"No." she interrupted, eyes hard. He winced and the hands on her wrists traveled down to grasp her hands almost pleadingly.

"Rose if I'd known he was still out there, I never would've gone to your universe. I wouldn't have taken you back here. This is too dangerous. You have _no idea_how dangerous he is.". His eyes begged her to relent, to not make this harder. His eyes were dry, but when he spoke again his voice broke. "I can't lose you again Rose. He will kill you in an instant to get to me. The Daleks, the Cybermen, everything we've faced – they're nothing compared to this.". There was a very real fear in his eyes, and his grip on her hands was almost painful. His words chilled her to the bone, but she still shook her head defiantly. "Rose, you don't understand-"

"_Yes I do _Doctor." she said, voice calm and hard. Something in her tone caused him to stiffen, eyes widening in comprehension and a hint of fear. "I do understand. And I made my choice. I made my choice all that time ago, and I chose again to stay with it even after what the Wisp showed me. If you do this alone, you will fail Doctor. This is my choice too, and you need me. That's the end of it.".

He released her hands and backed away, recovering his composure and studying her in a new light. His eyes were calculating, the question of how much she knew and how she could still choose to stay clear but unspoken. She didn't volunteer the information, although she finally let her fierce composure fall and leaned weakly against the railing. After a moment he took a deep breath and nodded, and then he was holding her against him and their lips were crushing together in a desperate search for some semblance of comfort.

* * *

When she slept that night, the TARDIS once again adrift in space and plans having been made to begin a search for a predator, she had the same nightmare again. The one she'd been seeing ever since the Wisp had placed the songs in her mind.

_She was lying on the ground, her entire body numb - although she wasn't sure if that was a blessing of the dream or part of the scene playing out. A pool of her own blood was gathering underneath her, seeping out of a wound in her chest. She knew from experience that nothing could be done to slow it. Her vision was dim, and growing dimmer, but she could clearly see him outlined against the blue sky. The Doctor stood above her, a cruel smile painted across his features and a murderous glee in his eyes. A small gun was gripped in his right hand._

This time when she woke up, gasping for breath, she hesitated before falling into his arms. In the darkness she didn't see how wet his eyes were, and her own shaking disguised his own tremors.


	16. Wandering Off

_A bit short, but at least the update came quicker? I'll try to update again soon (probably Friday night) – critiques or comments are appreciated.  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters.  
_

* * *

Rose stalked through the crowded streets, ignoring the owners hawking their wares on either side of the road and lending a wide berth to some of the more lethal-looking aliens. The Doctor had taken them here the day after the destruction – a market planet known for commerce and a gathering of races.

The fear sweeping through the planets could be felt here too, an ominous undertone running throughout the conversations and sales. Even to Rose the streets looked oddly unpopulated, as if the place had been constructed to hold a much larger crowd. Several stalls and street carts were closed off or abandoned, most not even having bothered with a sign to explain their absence.

She turned onto a smaller street, trading the security of the bigger avenue for the relatively subdued air here. The Doctor had left her with the TARDIS and strict instructions not to wander off – not that she'd listened. He claimed that the people he needed to speak with (they were searching for clues as to the current whereabouts or movement of the dark figure that lay at the root of the tension currently hanging in the air) would speak only to him. She was of the opinion that he simply considered the trip too dangerous for her.

Rose moved slowly, now and then lingering at certain carts or stands to catch pieces of hushed conversation. The talk centered almost exclusively on the path of destruction being carved throughout the universe. A species destroyed, or a planet that had simply dropped off of the map. No one was willing to send help, or see what had become of them. Whispers of the darkness and a violent god were common enough, but it seemed that anyone who'd been unfortunate enough to see the monster had not survived the incident. To her relief, Earth was never mentioned.

The Doctor should be finished by now, and she considered heading back the way she'd come. Instead she found her feet leading her towards the entrance to a smaller alleyway, thoughts still lost in piecing together the seemingly random acts of violence appearing throughout the stars. Tall buildings on either side squeezed most of the light out of the alley, allowing shadows to slide across the walkway and the people there. From her right someone called out a request to read her fortune, and mats on the ground held eerie-looking amulets and runes to both sides of her. She felt a pair of eyes on her and a chill ran down her spine, causing her to realize her surroundings and angle herself back towards the light of the avenue.

"RoseTyler." a thin voice rose out of the shadows to her left, pronouncing her name – which she'd given to no one here – in the same manner as the Wisp. She stiffened but kept her composure as she turned, meeting the piercing eyes of a small waif-like creature with delicate features and pale skin.

"Yes?". She didn't bother to ask how it knew her name – the way it (he?) stared at her seemed to burn through her. She crossed her arms as if to block that look from gazing any deeper into her – he didn't move.

"It is coming." he said, in the same empty tone. "He will find you, soon enough. You have seen what will be, but you must not leave the Lord of Time. If you leave, you will live – but the last true son of Gallifrey will fall. The universe will be thrown into darkness.". Rose forced herself to freeze, resisting the powerful urge to step away, as his eyes watched hers unblinkingly. "The Dark One may only be slain by the son and daughter of time.".

He blinked and she shifted forwards, intending to ask him where he'd come from, and suddenly found herself leaning against the side of the TARDIS. If she concentrated she could remember the walk back, a vague blur of turns and people, but the actual decision to leave and her arrival here were hard to grasp, like the last vestiges of a dream. Everything from before the meeting with the creature was clear, but the one thing that burned clearly in her mind was the conversation. _Who was the daughter of time?  
_  
The Doctor appeared at the end of the street, annoyance written across his features. When he saw her though, leaning against the TARDIS, the hard lines were smoothed away by a smile that leapt to his face unbidden. His smile softened the worry that crept through her, bringing a similar grin to her own features. Whatever may come, she'd made her decision.

He took her hand in his and leaned down to kiss her briefly, surprising her but causing her smile to widen.

"Is this how we're saying hello now?" she asked teasingly, pressing closer to him out of habit. "Because I think I could get used to that.". A light blush came to his face and she laughed, letting him pull her towards the entrance to the TARDIS.

"I got a few helpful clues. Most of them are too scared to talk, but it seems there haven't been any new attacks." he was fiddling with the controls of the ship now – circling the center, flipping switches and pressing buttons. "I'm guessing you didn't really stay here the entire time – what've you been up to?".

"Nothing." the answer came too fast. He glanced up at her, eyes reading her warily, before returning to the controls.

Fine then. They both had secrets to hide.


	17. Little Details

_Again, this one is sort of short. I haven't had a lot of time lately._  
_I know it's a cliffhanger, don't freak out - I promise I'll have an update by tomorrow or Friday this time._  
_Reviews or critiques are completely welcome and much appreciated - thank you to everyone who's commented on this story._  
_Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters. _

* * *

After a few moments, the Doctor finished his manipulation of the controls and stepped away from the console. His eyes scanned the interior of the TARDIS, something unreadable in their depths, and then he disappeared up the staircase and was back in less than a minute. Rose sat in the worn-down chair by the console, wondering silently as his behavior but shrugging it off.

"I've got to go back to the plaza and grab something – I'll only be a minute." he said, glancing at the watch on his wrist before flashing her a smile and heading out the door before she could comment. She sighed and leaned back in the chair, trying to stop the thoughts from whirling so madly through her head. Something seemed off – the sensation pulled at the edge of her mind, a nagging tug that refused to leave. She blamed it on the strange happenings of her trip out, and ran the conversation through her mind once more.

Finally, weary from the tension that sat in her bones, she rolled her shoulders back and attempted to sleep – she hadn't exactly been getting much rest at night lately. Soon her thoughts began to scatter, fading away until she was dreaming once again.

_The Doctor still stood above her, the same cruel smile twisting his features. She tried to move, but it was so hard… It was as if a warm blanket lay over her, dragging her limbs down and stifling any movement with its weight. The warmth was leaving so quickly though… The empty chills that ran through her sent distant pangs of terror through her mind._

He leaned down, gun still clenched tightly in hands that were too pale, eyes staring out coldly from a face that held too many hard lines. He was going to say something, she knew, but she didn't bother to listen. She'd heard the words too many times – if she were to concentrate on that rasping, vicious tone, she knew it would only drag the last of her thoughts into a panic.

Still, she had to fight down a faint smile. It was just so ironic. He was always so worried, so scared that she might be hurt or lost by his doings. It was almost fitting that her death should come by his hands. He was speaking to her now – or was that someone else? The voice was different, calm and kind and so far away. She tried to listen to it, and felt the outline of a chair underneath her.

The dream was fading then – what little of it remained began to come apart at the edges. It was always so dark by this point already though, as if a tunnel were clamping down over her vision. He was standing though, walking away to confront another. She could never see who.

The chair began to shake and a familiar whirring filled her ears, dragging her further out of the dream. The scene began to dissolve like smoke, curling away. She resisted, even as the warmth returned to her body. There was something important. Something she could see. The man in front of her – he was raising the gun now, this was the last she would see of him – there was something… There were distant shouts, words she could never understand over the roaring in her ears, and the hand holding the gun moved. She couldn't tell if it was to shoot. The sun glinted dully off of a watch on the Doctor's wrist, and then a solid bang beneath her brought her fully awake.

Rose gasped, eyes flying open and glancing around the TARDIS, drinking it in and reminding herself where she was. The last few shudders signaling that they'd moved were just fading away. When her eyes landed on the Doctor, who was moving towards her with a worried frown and arms half-extended to comfort her, she felt herself flinch away. The pain that flashed through his eyes at that movement was unmistakable, and he stopped where he was to watch her carefully.

Her thoughts were moving too fast, trying to remember before it slipped away. There was something, something important. Something she'd only just noticed this time. It hovered at the edge of her mind, adding to the tension of earlier, until suddenly the realization broke through. She leapt out of the chair and grabbed his wrists, ignoring his bewildered look as she studied them each and then looked up to meet his eyes. Her voice was a mixture of fear and shock when she spoke, tightening her grip on his wrists.

"You don't wear a watch.". He scowled at her in confusion, eyes assessing the situation and pulling it apart to no avail. Just as he began to speak, the sound of wailing sirens drifted through the closed doors of the TARDIS.


	18. Stop Hiding

_Oh man so I'm reading these lovely reviews (thank you all – it means so much) and the theories people are having and I don't know whether to laugh because they're all wrong or just be like oh no I should've had something that made more sense to people. Hopefully this doesn't get too crazy for you guys and… Makes sense?  
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or these characters.  
_

* * *

The Doctor hesitated, looking torn between running towards the sound of the sirens and assessing her sanity.

"Rose I've never worn a watch." he watched her carefully, unsure of what she was implying. Rose almost laughed despite the anger and confusion crowding her thoughts. Of course he didn't wear a watch – neither did she, not since she'd begun traveling with him. There wasn't much use for a watch when you traveled through time, and anyways the Doctor had always found linear things painfully boring.

Part of her was furious with herself for not noticing, but then, that wasn't the type of obvious thing one saw. It was enough for him to make a mistake though, whoever _he_ was. Because he couldn't be her Doctor. Theories ran through her mind, but she knew that it was finally time to push the Doctor to explain – she needed to know. A wave of revulsion and anger tore through her – he'd _kissed_her. He'd kissed her and then he'd-

"The TARDIS!" she blurted out, turning away from him to stare at the controls as if the answer was written across them. He moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders gently and turning her to face him.

"Yes Rose. We're on the TARDIS – we just moved, I needed to find some people. I tried to wake you and ask if you'd moved the controls, but you were out." he moved his hands down to take hers in his, holding them hesitantly, as if he thought she would send him away. "Rose, tell me what's going on.".

The wailing outside of the TARDIS grew louder, an insistent sound that droned away at her thoughts. She needed to understand, but now wasn't the time. Shaking her head, she forced herself to give him a weak smile.

"I'll explain later, first we need to find out what's making that horrible noise.". Before he could protest she was leading the way to the door, the worry that this may be another trap gnawing at her mind. But no – if he'd wanted to kill her he would have. The Doctor was forced to follow.

Three hours later they returned to the TARDIS. The problem had been simple – engine failure due to a simple wiring malfunction, easy enough to fix if you were traveling with the Doctor. It was impossible to miss the change in his eyes when he'd exited the ship and realized that they were in the wrong place. He'd been rigid and on guard throughout the entire ordeal, staying close to her and shooting worried glances her way every now and then.

Rose let him hover, reluctant to let him out of her sight again. She saw the conclusions he was slowly drawing in his eyes and stance – she doubted he would figure out everything, but they both rushed through helping the strange scaled people of the ship they'd landed on. For a while she jumped at the slightest sound, earning a glance each time, but by now she'd drawn her own conclusions. This wasn't a trap, this was a show of power.

Once the doors of the TARDIS shut, the Doctor was instantly at the console. He flipped or turned or otherwise manipulated the controls, frantically yet one by one. A muttered curse seemed to signal that he'd found the problem, yet he still continued.

"Doctor.". Rose's voice was quiet, her eyes watching his movements wearily. He was working too fast, pouring himself into it instead of facing the conversation he knew had to happen. She had to understand… And he had to stop running. "Doctor.". This time her voice was firm, a hard note in it causing him to stop and meet her eyes. He nodded, just once, and she sighed inwardly at the age she saw creep in to those brown eyes.

"Right.". A deep sigh. "Rose, what _happened_today? What was all that-"

"No." he stopped mid-sentence, watching her carefully. She struggled to restrain the anger from her voice. "You need to explain Doctor. Now. Whatever this is – you know. You know why this "darkness" lacks a name. You know why he _always_knows exactly where and how the TARDIS will land." her voice was rising now, a slight tremor to it. Everything in her wanted to yell out the words 'you know why I see you murder me every night in my nightmares', but she couldn't tell him. She wasn't sure how, but she knew that she couldn't tell him. Instead, she stepped towards him, barely registering that her hands were balled into fists.

"Doctor I've waited and waited for you to explain, but you can't keep hiding. He was here." his eyes, already wide, narrowed dangerously. "He was here and he touched me and he brought the TARDIS here just to show that he could. That he could trick us. And" her hands shook and tears built in her eyes. "I'm scared Doctor. I'm still here, but I'm terrified, alright? And I deserve to know what's going on.".

Before she knew it she was cradled against his chest, head buried into the hollow between his shoulders and jaw. One arm wrapped around her, supporting her and holding her tightly to him, and another rested on her back while a gentle hand stroked her hair, trying to calm her. Then he was talking, and she forced herself to concentrate on the words.

"I'm so sorry Rose. I'm so, so sorry. I should've have told you, I should have never let things get this bad. I was just so scared, and angry… But all I did was put you at risk.". The self-condemnation in his voice was painful, but he was talking too fast for her to interrupt. "He knows the TARDIS because he has my memories, at least to a point. That's how he knew to act – how he's always one step ahead of us. Rose… He's me." He must have felt her stiffen, the sudden tension that filled her body as her worst thoughts seemed to be confirmed, but he barreled on. "Not quite me, not literally me who's standing here. But… The day we opened the passage to the Void, some of my energy was pulled through. As in literally the essence of a Time Lord – the thing that allows me to regenerate. Something was created… A new me, but one that possessed and enhanced every bad aspect. He's a creature without a soul, without a drop of good or mercy in him. And I created him." he paused, his grip on her tightening before becoming hesitant, as if waiting for her to run away once more. "And now he's after you to destroy me.".

Rose was silent. Her mind whirled with this new information, struggling to comprehend it all but relieved beyond belief to finally know. A mad doppelganger of the most dangerous man in the universe, she could handle. It was the fear of losing him, her Doctor, that truly struck her to the core.

She drew away from him – he gave no resistance, seeming positive that she would flinch away from his touch now – and pulled him into a kiss. He froze and began to draw away at first, but she only leaned into him and deepened the kiss. After a moment, he returned it, a hand pressing against the small of her back and holding her to him. Their lips pressed together almost painfully, each pouring the fear and relief of the past few weeks into the motion. She clung to him, deciding in that moment that she never wanted to let go.

She didn't tell him that she knew how things ended. That she knew _he_ would find her in the end.


	19. You're Not Him

_Sorry, this is pretty short, especially given the wait. I've had a lot going on (pretty much involving major family issues and moving in with my grandparents) and this is the last week of the quarter. I'll try to update again before then, but don't be too shocked if there's not a new chapter up until next Friday. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but this is how it turned out after a few rewrites. Reviews or comments? Ideas?_  
_I also want to give a huge thanks to Peeniss0314 for reviewing this fic so thoroughly – you're great.  
_

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Rose felt the Doctor's chest rise and fall underneath her hand, the rhythm too regular and steady. He was lying on his back, staring at some point above him vacantly. Her head lay on his shoulder and her hand pressed against his chest as if to prevent him from leaving. Judging by how stiff he was against her, perhaps she was.

For a moment he had given in, pulling her against him and allowing her to crush her lips against his. Then he had stiffened and gently, as if she might break or flee otherwise, pulled her away. He'd led her here, to her room, clearly planning on leaving her to her thoughts, but she'd caught his hand and forced him to stay. For once, she couldn't read the look in his eyes, but the brief glimpse she'd caught revealed anger and a steely line of self-hatred that hurt to see.

"You didn't tell me, even though you knew I might be hurt.". She propped herself up on an elbow to watch him – her tone wasn't reproachful or angry, but almost absent, as if thinking out loud.

"Yes…". He didn't allow the mask to break.

"Why?". Now he turned his head slightly, eyes focusing on hers. The pain she saw there was almost painful to look at.

"Because I wasn't sure until it was too late. Because I was trying to deny it myself… Because I knew that once he knew you knew, he'd stop circling his prey and attack.". He was speaking faster now, his voice full of reproach for his own actions. "Because I was sure you would leave.". She watched him for a moment, choosing to respond to only the last comment.

"Why would I leave?". His eyes flashed at the question, hard.

"Because you should! Because there's a powerful man without a soul chasing us, who has every one of my memories and nothing but hatred in him, and he won't stop at anything until you're dead.". His voice dripped with bitterness, and suddenly she finally understood.

"He's not you.". His jaw clenched and he turned to stare at the same blank spot as before.

"Isn't he?".

"No.". He didn't bother to reply. "Doctor, would you ever hurt me?".

"Of course not." he rolled his eyes, turning to watch her again with exasperation. "But what else can you say against it? Would I ever destroy a planet? Check. Would I ever watch an entire people burn? Check. Would I ever threaten to kill something out of anger? Check.". Self-condemnation filled his tone.

"You had reasons, and you're different now. You're not that person anymore Doctor – I've seen you change. I've seen you lower the gun and choose mercy over wrath. Whoever – whatever – he is, it was never who you were. And it certainly isn't who you are.". Her voice was firm, and he allowed himself a small smile.

"You always did see the best in everyone Rose…" a hand reached up to cup her cheek, barely resting against her skin. She knew the issue wasn't resolved, but she had planted the idea. Maybe with time he would see himself the way the rest of the universe did. Maybe if he could just hear the songs that she could hear… "Please, let me take you home. I can't guarantee that you'll be safe with me, not anymore, and I promised not to lose you.". His tone hovered between pleading and regret.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," she replied easily, knowing that running away wasn't an option, if it had ever even been. "we both know that's not who I am.". He shook his head, as if he couldn't understand where he'd found this wild, stubborn girl, and allowed her to lean against his hand without pulling away.

"Rose Tyler, you are something else, aren't you.". She smiled and leaned towards him, silencing any further comments. For the first time in a long while, she didn't have any nightmares when she fell asleep that night.


End file.
